Mariposa's Holiday Specials
by Mariposa Prime
Summary: 5-vorn-old Mariposa Prime is finally getting the Earth-based holidays she's dreamed of since before she met her family. More explanation in story. Sad-fic that turns happy as it goes on. BEING REWRITTEN
1. Miko's Discovery

I'm starting a holiday-based story about Mariposa Prime and her first year on Earth. Mariposa in this story is the daughter of Optimus Prime and Elita One, and the baby sister to Bumblebee. I have merged the young, happy, excited version of the character from Youngling with the more angst-y version of Mari from The Life of a Techno-Organic Prime. Mariposa is 5 vorns, but she lived a life of abuse and neglect in another world before returning to her normal dimension as a two-year-old.

Lullaby is Daughter of the Moon, by Adriana Figueroa.

I only own my oc's.

* * *

 **Miko's Discovery**

Miko flops onto the couch. With the bots out fighting yet another battle with the cons and the two boys unable to come—Jack's at work, while Raf's helping his family decorate their house for the holiday season—and Mariposa taking a nap in her creators' berth, Miko's bored stiff. " _Ratchet_?"

The old medic scoffs. "Find something to do by yourself, Miko! Can't you see I'm trying to work?"

The teen huffs before looking around the room from her flopped position on the couch, quickly noticing that, while there's very little personal touches in the base normally, there's not a single decoration, and it's almost four in the afternoon on Black Friday! She sits up before turning to the medic. "Ratchet?" The medic turns to her, about to snap at her for interrupting him yet again, only for her to continue before he has the chance. "Has Mari ever celebrated a holiday?"

Ratchet sighs softly. "Of course she has, back on Cybertron! Why do you ask?"

"There's no decorations up."

"We don't celebrate your holidays, Miko. Now kindly leave me to my work."

"What's she mean when she says "Old Earth", then? Were you guys on Earth before?"

Ratchet gets a far-away look in his eyes as he remembers a time three vorns ago, when they first found the young princess.

Flashback

 _A woman about twenty-five years old is outside with her little brother and his wife. The former two are sparing with powers, simply having fun as they wait for the inevitable chaos to strike, while the latter is making sure the two-year-old fraternal twins are behaving themselves, and otherwise monitoring the sparing session._

 _The twenty-five year old suddenly freezes and lays a hand on her chest at a sharp stabbing pain, allowing her brother to get a good strike on her sensitive back. She quickly goes into overdrive, and starts striking and kicking as if her very life depends on taking down the attacker—because it just might the next time she leaves her back open. She trips him up, causing him to fall, then holds up an arm to signify she's won this round. The pain in her chest only grows stronger as she reaches down to help him up. It's a familiar pain, by this point it time, and she has more important things to worry about than the pain._

 _A semi-familiar ship lands in the field a few feet away, behind some pine trees so the occupants can't be seen coming off. The woman, however, turns with a gasp, and pulls her hand out of her brothers, causing him to fall face-first into the grass as she starts to run toward the field. "SORRY!"_

 _Her brother stands and dusts himself off before turning to his wife and kids. "What was that all about?"_

 _The twenty-two year old stands from the toddlers. "They're here."_

 _"Who's here?"_

 _"Shut up!" She steps away from the Dodge Spirit beside her and herds the twin toddlers toward their father without a second to spare. "Stay with your Dad."_

 _The silver Spirit suddenly transforms before running after the woman who is, by now, almost to the tree line. "Mari!"_

 _The twenty-five-year-old whirls at the name to find a large mech running at her, but she doesn't cower. Rather, she turns to run at him, causing the other humans around to cringe in fear, and her brother to cover the twins' eyes, just in case. Thankfully, the silver mech stops as soon as he sees her run at him. "Blue! Blue! It's really you!"_

 _He kneels to her. "Of course it's me! Who were you expecting? The King of England?"_

 _She crosses her arms. "They have a queen, not a king, goofball." She giggles, sounding like a young child, rather than the adult she appears to be. "And I thought you were supposed to be hiding!"_

 _"Not when you could be in danger, Little One." He steps around the trees, and I hear him talking to someone before he steps out with several more robots, at least three of them with doorwings—a black and white mech with a red chevron, a yellow and black mech, and a pink femme—while three others have either little winglets—a blue femme—or nothing at all—a red and blue mech, and a red and white mech—on their backs._

 _All seven of the robots step out from behind the trees, and the woman gasps before tackling a red and blue mech and crying into his leg. "Daddy! Oh, Primus! Daddy! You're here! You're really here!"_

 _She repeats the same action with the pink femme—only with the word Mommy—then the yellow winged mech—calling him Bumbee and Bubby—before turning her attention to the red and white mech as he kneels to her._

 _"R-Ratchet?"_

 _"Yes. How did you know of us, Princess?"_

 _"Cartoons… Someone made cartoons… I watched them all the time…"_

 _A few months later, the eight start back for the ship—having concealed it from the humans upon their arrival—and help the now-sparkling framed femmeling into the ship. She puts up a fight when they try to put her into her own seat, so she winds up on her mother's lap. It's essential they restore their creator bonds as quickly as possible, and closeness is the best way to do so. Once they're in the proper dimension and out of Earth's atmosphere, the red and white bot—their medic—steps over and starts to examine the sparkling femme to ensure she's healthy and happy._

 _"Can'y?"_

 _"What did you say, Little One?"_

 _"I has can'y?" The pink femme nudges her. "P'ease?"_

 _The white medic holds out an energon chew. "That's what I thought you said."_

 _The femmeling looks up to the medic questioningly. "Cyb'twon has C'istmas?"_

 _"What, Sweetspark?"_

 _"Does Cyb'twon has C'istmas? It hol'day."_

 _He sighs and shakes his head, not even knowing what the femmeling said, except for the words "Cybertron" and "Holiday". "No, Sweetspark."_

"Ratchet?"

The old Medic starts before turning back to the teenager with a sigh. "She was sent to another dimension, to protect her from those wanting to harm her. We retrieved her a few vorn ago, and she asked about some holiday from this planet, but she was too young for us to understand her at the time. With the start of our war, we haven't even been able to keep up with our own holidays, let alone Earth's."

Miko grins. "Then I'll just have to teach you, so Mari won't have to go without them another year!" She smiles before shooting off texts to both Jack and Raf, then slips the phone back into her pocket.

" _Ratchet, we need a bridge to my coordinates, now!_ "

The medic runs back to the computers. "It'll have to be later, Miko!" He sets the coordinates and opens the ground bridge before turning to watch the open portal anxiously. Bumblebee staggers in, leaning on Bluestreak, followed by Bulkhead and Arcee, and finally, Optimus carrying an unconscious Elita One. The femme doesn't look too badly hurt, but it's not too hard to tell what caused her condition—a large dent on her helm.

A few minutes after Elita One regains consciousness on the medical berth, Mariposa wakes up and toddles into the main room before following her spark bonds to the medical bay. Upon seeing her Carrier on the medical berth, she turns to her Sire with a worried look. "Cawiew huwt?"

Optimus reaches down and runs a hand over the femmeling's helm lightly. "Yes, she is, but she'll be fine, Princess."

She looks up at the large berth to where Elita's hand is resting on the edge. "I see?"

Elita turns to look up at her bondmate. "Orion? Please?"

Optimus nods and lifts the small femmeling onto the berth beside her Carrier, then steps back to let the femmeling healer have a special moment with her Carrier.

"You needs be cawefuler, Cawier…"

Elita laughs softly. "I guess I do, Sweetspark."

The femmeling takes a few more moments to look over her Carrier before curling up beside her and resting her head on her Carrier's chest. "Momma…"

Elita strokes the femmeling's helm gently as she starts to sing a lullaby she'd heard their first few days on "Old Earth".

Silver light  
She turned her face up to the starlit sky  
And on this night began to wonder why  
She knew that soon the day would come

Born to be  
An heir of beauty and serenity  
Into this world she entered quietly  
To her surprise she was the one


	2. Miko's Idea

I only own my OC's!

* * *

Miko's Idea

The Next Day, Normal (Mariposa's) POV

Hi! My name's Mariposa, and I'm a Cybertronian princess. My Carrier is Elita-One, and my Sire is Optimus, and I have a big brother named Bumblebee, too. My armor is pink, with a purple galaxy design on my finials and trim on my wrists and knees, and pink doorwings. I have a point on my forehelm like Aunt Arcee, and my finials look like Carrier's. I have a holoform too, thankfully not adult-like, like the one I had before. This one makes me look my real age, with blonde and pink hair and bright blue eyes, and I usually wear something with a butterfly motif, since my name means butterfly. Today, for instance, I'm wearing a pink long sleeved T-shirt, a denim jumper with an embroidered butterfly on the chest and pink trim, pink tights, and denim Mary Jane shoes with my matching butterfly hoodie.

I'm five now, and we're back on Earth, with three humans coming to the base every day for their safety. Even though we live in Nevada, where it's usually hot, we've had a cold spell lately, which means the usually 55+ temperatures haven't gotten any higher than 45 degrees.

I lean down from Carrier's arms, where I had been cuddling with her as I waited for the humans, when I hear engines coming from the far-away entrance to the base. Thankfully, her helm's all better now. She got hit in the helm during a battle yesterday. I was takey nap when it happened.

"Mika's here! Mika's here!" I push against Carrier. "Down, Cawier!" She sighs and sets me on the floor. She hated sending me away when I was new, but at least we're back together again. "Mika's here!" Ratchet groans from the computers. I don't think he likes the humans as much as I do…

I run toward the returning bots as they stop and let out their charges. Sire had decided to pick up Jack because Aunt Arcee's still on patrol with my bodyguard Bluestreak.

Of course, being the child that I am, I run over and hug my Sire's leg as soon as he transforms, then move to hug my big brother before shifting down to holoform and hugging Miko. "Mika! You're here! You're here!" I giggle. "'Pin me, Mika! 'Pin me!"

She sighs softly. "All right…" She grins, and spins me around before setting me back on the ground and crouching in front of me. "What did you do today?"

I giggle. "I pwayed an' help Siwe wif his 'trols." I pause to think. "An' Watchet le' me fingew-paint! I show you my picture…" I pause and look up to Ratchet again. He's giving me a look. I look down and trace an invisible line on the floor. "I mean, after it dwies."

"That's better, Youngling. Now, back to bot form and run along."

I return to my bot form and stop to stick my tongue out at the meany-bot of a medic we have, before turning to run off to my playground area in the basement of the base. I go two steps before realizing that Miko, Jack, and Raf are wearing something different than usual. "W-what you wear?"

Jack gives me a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"You lookey diff'rent 'day."

"Oh…" Raf laughs softly. "We're just getting into the holiday spirit."

Carrier turns to Miko in confusion as I give the human a blank stare. I don't remember any holidays during this time of year. "Holiday?"

Miko scoffs. "You mean you don't know about Christmas!?"

I blink as old memories from my previous live as a human come back to me faintly—memories of sounds, sights, smells, and tastes: the laughter, squeals, and lighthearted music almost covered by the sounds of tearing paper; the green trees, the evergreen garland, the twinkling lights, shiny ornaments, and glittery tinsel scattered all over the tree; the smells of cinnamon candles and the bath sets my human grandmother always bought for my human mother; the sweet candy on the tree, as well as succulent ham and savory stuffing in the kitchen, just waiting to be devoured.

I blink and look up when I feel someone shaking me. " _ **Mari!**_ "

"I's 'kay, Bumbee." I turn to Miko and smile weakly. "I 'member Christmas from Old Earth." I'd started calling the place I lived out my sparkling years as "old earth", and the place we are now "New Earth" so I won't get them mixed up.

Sire crouches in front of me. "Would you like to celebrate with the humans while we are on Earth?"

I smile up at him. "Really, Sire?" I look down. My "old earth" family wasn't the most Christmas-y people I'd known, with none of the traditions I'd wanted to start taking off well—I'd even done most of the decorating myself, since no one gave a flying frag about the holiday but my ailing grandmother, and later, my human brother's fiancé. "You don' gotta do that for me… You no' human likes them… We no do on Cybertwon. I' be fine."

I feel Carrier's hands on my doorwings as Sire starts to speak. "You're right, Sweetspark. We don't have to." Sire lifts my chin gently with a finger and gives me a gentle smile. "We want to. You were not raised as your Carrier and I were, and you need a chance to hang onto some of the life you had before."

I look down sadly as a lone coolant tear rolls down my cheek. "We didn' have much twadition, Siwe… Jus' biwthpawents spend night, then open pwesents. Nofing fun, likes sings, or story…no even Santa af'er I look lik'a Miko age…"

Sire picks me up and holds me close to his spark as I try not to cry.

Miko looks sad for a moment before jumping up as if something had shocked her. "Then we'll just make new traditions!"

I turn my helm to where my audio is resting over Sire's spark and watch the excited teens.

"Yeah!" Raf grins. "My sisters and I help Mama decorate every year, and we usually get someone to take our pictures, too."

My optics widen at that. "Pic'ures?"

"Yeah. Mama has us put on our best clothes, and we go into town and get our pictures taken. Then Mama buys the best one and hangs it on the wall. She's got pictures from when Estella was a baby." He looks up at Bumblebee. "I'll see if I can get one of the smaller copies for you when we take them." Raf turns back to Sire. "I'd usually put the star on, since I'm the youngest. Then Mama and my sisters would bake cookies."

Miko grins up at Carrier. "My family back in Japan would always go out together and pick out a real tree to cut, then we'd decorate it together. Then Mom would take me shopping in some of the best stores in Tokyo."

Jack smiles slightly as he leans on the safety railing. "Mom used to take me to see Santa and keep an advent calendar with candies in it when I was little, and we still drive around to look at Christmas lights every Christmas Eve." He gets a far-away look in his eyes. "Dad used to read "The Night Before Christmas too, before he left…"

"Okay then…let's get away from the mopey stories. We're doing this for Mari, not for our own satisfaction."

Jack crosses his arms and smirks. "Look who's finally paying attention in English class."

Miko sticks her tongue out at Jack. "So, it's settled then? Mari gets to have the best Christmas any five-year-old could dream up?"

"Yeah…"

"I guess…" Jack looks up to Sire and I. "Optimus? She…is your daughter, after all."

Sire steps over to the platform with me in his arms. "I am willing to do whatever possible to erase every one of these distressing memories of her past life."

"I haves C'istmas? For reals?" Sire smiles down at me, but I can see sadness in his eyes. I can feel Carrier almost crying in the bond, but I can't see her dab at her optics from behind me. I do, however, see Aunt Arcee and Bumblebee both reaching up to their optics too, and Bulkhead turns away so we can't see his face. Even Ratchet looks away for a minute.

Sire sighs softly. "You never should have gone through everything you did before, Princess."

"But I's wif you now." I smile up at him. "Happy comes back."

Sire runs a hand over my helm. "It should never have left you, Sweetspark. The joy of sparklinghood should never have left your spark to begin with." He looks up to Jack with a purpose. "Jackson, contact your mother." He turns to look across the room, where Ratchet is still turned away. "Ratchet." The medic turns quickly, revealing that he had actually been crying for me. Sire steps over without me even needing to ask him to, and hands me to the medic.

I pat Ratchet's coolant-streaked cheek like a toddler would a sad adult. "It' okay, Ratch. I safes now." I hug him before reaching back to Sire.

Sire nods at the now-calm medic. "Contact Special Agent Fowler." Jack waves to get Optimus' attention. "Yes, Jack?"

"Mom said she'll come by tomorrow to help out."

"Optimus." Sire turns to Ratchet and smiles when he finds Agent Fowler on the screen. "Elita?"

Carrier steps over and takes me. "Why don't you and I go get changed, and head into the park?"

"Bu' Cawier…"

"Your Sire needs to speak with Special Agent Fowler, Sweetspark, and you haven't been outside all week."

"But I 'troled with Sire…"

"Outside to play, silly."

* * *

Carrier and I step into their room. I sit on the edge of their bed and wait for her to switch into holoform and pull on a sweater and jeans, with pink tennis shoes, then pull on a black coat before returning to her normal form and following me into my room.

She helps me into a light pink long sleeved T-shirt with a large butterfly graphic made up of smaller white, baby pink, and lavender butterflies, a new pair of dark blue jeggings with butterflies on the back pockets, light pink socks, and my pink twinkle toes hightops with a butterfly print. Once I'm dressed, she holds out my new light pink butterfly print coat and helps me into it. I then pull on my light pink butterfly sock hat and white knit gloves with pink and purple glitter butterfly grippers, then shift back to my normal form before following Carrier along the out-of-the-way route to the exit. She transforms in the entry-way so as to avoid distracting Sire, then we peal out of the base.

* * *

Carrier pulls in at the park and activates her holoform before helping me out. Once the door's shut, I run for the swings while Carrier walks behind me. I quickly pick a swing in the almost-empty playground and clamber on. "Push me, Mommy!"

"What do we say?"

" _Pwease_ push me, Mommy!"

"Of course, Sweetheart." She starts pushing the swing, making me go higher and higher. While I know how to push my own swing—having learned how back on old earth—I still like to be pushed on the swings.

I giggle and squeal. "Higher, Mommy, higher!" I squeal even louder. I love the swings.

* * *

Carrier soon moves to a bench with a book, while I run to the playground equipment and start to play pretend. It doesn't feel like very long at all before Carrier stands and turns to me. "Come on, Mari. It's time to go."

"Aww…" I slide out of the playset and run to her. "Why we gotta go?"

"You need lunch, and your Dad and I need to talk."

* * *

Carrier and I pull back into the base. According to her clock, it's been over two hours since we left, and Sire's still talking with Agent Fowler. "I'll get your energon. You need to get changed, and meet me in the kitchen."

"Okay." I grin. "Siwe come ea' wif us?"

"Maybe." She sighs. "He's never had to speak with Agent Fowler this long since we first came to this planet."

"We still has Aunty Cee an' Bumbee though, right?"

"You'll still have Arcee and your brother, yes."

"An' Bulky, an' Blue, an' Ratch?"

"I'll have to comm them, but I don't see why not…"

"Yay!" I run to my room and change into a light pink long sleeved turtleneck, light pink leggings, a pink T-shirt with a butterfly graphic, a pink skort with a butterfly print, white bobby socks with pink butterflies on the ankles, dark pink twinkle toes with butterflies on the soles, and my light pink butterfly print hoodie, then run back into the kitchen. I smile when I find Carrier warming up my energon. Even though I'm five, I love my energon warmed up, especially after I've been in the cold. I only like cold energon after I've been out in the desert all day, and my systems feel too warm.

I slip into my chair and wait for Carrier to step over with my energon and for the others to come in for their cubes.

Aunt Arcee's the first one to come into the kitchen and find her seat across from me. She looks really tired. I know she's always got a late patrol, then she has to get up early to pick up Jack, then she goes on another patrol with Bluestreak at noon. Usually, she stops and picks up Jack at the school on her way back to base, while Bluestreak comes back to the base and comes with me.

"Hi, Aunty Cee!"

"Hey, Little One." She turns to Carrier. "What's Optimus talking about with Agent Fowler?"

"Miko had an idea." She steps closer to the table and sets my energon in front of me before moving to Arcee.

"Miko's always got ideas." She reaches up and takes a cube when Carrier hands it to her. "They're not usually good ones."

"Arcee…" She sighs softly. "Most of her ideas have to do with running into the battlefield and taking either Raf or Jack with her. This one's different."

"How so?" Aunt Arcee takes a drink from her cube.

"She wants to start celebrating holidays with us, so Mariposa can have the holiday celebrations she's always dreamed of."

"I guess that's why Jack said June's coming with us tomorrow?"

Carrier nods. "She's going to help us plan traditions."

"Traditions?"

"Mari doesn't remember any traditions, and the ones she does aren't ones she really cared about."

She turns to me suddenly. "Are you excited?"

I start bouncing on my seat excitedly, my energon sloshng over the edge of my cube, and onto the table. "Yep! Wanna has C'istmas 'gain!"

"Christmas?"

Carrier shrugs before turning to me. I smile over at my aunt. "It's a cel'bration of the day Jesus was born. Jesus is God's son. He was born to save us all from Satan. It's a happy story." I giggle softly. "But for kids, it's more than just a cel'bration of baby Jesus. It's a time to get presents an' see family they don't get to see often." I look down slightly. "I hasn't been to church since 'fore I gotted back to Cybertron…an' evens then, I was too dizzy from sparks stuffs to go lots…"

Carrier leans down to me. "You miss going to this place?"

"It's a place to learn about God an' Jesus, an' I growed up goings to church. I misses it, Momma…"

Carrier runs a hand over my helm gently. "I know, Sweetspark." I lean my helm into her side as she sits beside me with her energon cube. "I'll talk with your Sire and see what I can do."

I look up to her with a huge smile. "Really?"

She taps me on my nose. "Really." She nods toward my still-full cube. "Now drink your energon, Sweetspark. You'll need the energy for the afternoon."

I look down into my cube. I don't want it to get cold, but I don't want to eat without the others either… "Where Bumbee? An' Bulky, an' Ratch?" I whimper. "An' B'ue? Where B'ues?"

Aunt Arcee sighs softly. "Blue's in the washracks. we got pretty dusty on patrol, and he let me go first. He'll be in soon enough for his energon."

Carrier moves her fingers from her comm link. "Ratchet's waiting with your Sire, and he said they're almost done, so they'll be in here soon, Bulkhead's trying to get Miko to let him go for two minutes so he can join us, and Bumblebee's coming as soon as he and Raf get done with their race."

The second she finishes speaking, a familiar voice comes from the doorway. "What's wrong, Mari-Bear?"

I look up to find my Guardian in the doorway. "Bwue!" I slide out of my chair and run over to jump in his arms. "Blue-Blue-Blue-Blue!" I giggle as he catches me, and "flies" me around for a moment before setting me back on my pedes. "Comes dwinks 'gon wif us!"

Aunt Arcee sighs. "Mari insists we're all here today."

Carrier nods. "And her warmed low grade is getting cold."

"You added her favorite flavors?"

Arcee scoffs. "For their little princess? I'd be surprised if she ever got less than the best."

I giggle. Carrier knows better than to give me energon without flavors in it. Plain low-grade tastes yeucky! "Silver with a little copper—just enough to taste."

"And almost the same as what I like." Bluestreak turns from the counter and sits beside me, tapping me on the shoulder as he does. "Except I like a little coolant too."

I roll my eyes at the reminder. Even though it's been a full vorn, and a few Earth years besides that, I still have the memory of how annoying it was to take him anywhere—fill the coolant tank, drive to wherever, fill the coolant tank, drive home—over, and over, and over again, until I wanted to kick the poor mech over it! " _Don't remind me_."

Aunt Arcee smirks, her hands curled around her warmed energon cube. "She almost sounded like an adult there."

I cross my arms and glare at Aunt Arcee. "Just 'cause I was one on "Old Earth" doesn't mean I'm gonna be one all the times here!"

Bumblebee steps in at that moment with Bulkhead and Miko. " _ **What's going on in here?**_ "

"Wow! I didn't know you guys ate!"

I hold up my cube. "We dwinks, no' eats."

Miko looks from my cube, to Bluestreaks, then back to mine. "Why is her's a different color?"

I look from my azure-colored cube to Bluestreak's electric blue one as Carrier smiles over at her. "Mari's still in her sparkling phase, so she needs low grade. She'll use it until she's Rafael's age, at the very least."

"Oh…" She turns to Bulkhead with a smile. "Are we going to join them, or what?" Bulkhead sighs and sets Miko on the table across from Bluestreak before heading over to get himself a cube. "She's still a baby? She won't be a baby for that long, will she?"

Carrier shakes her head. "No, Miko. She'll be considered a youngling once she is six."

Bulkhead returns to the table and sits behind where Miko is. "But she'll still have to drink low grade until she's 12 vorns."

Bumblebee sits across from Carrier with his cube. " _ **What have you done so far today, Little Butterfly?**_ "

I giggle. Everyone calls me that at some point. "I play on'a playgwoun'!"

"And you're going down for a nap this afternoon."

"But…"

Ratchet steps in and gets his cube before sitting on the end closest to Bulkhead and Bluestreak. "Is she fighting you on recharge again?" He turns a milder glare on me when Carrier nods.

I look down. "Awww… No wan' takey nap."

Miko looks over to me. "She still takes naps? I thought yesterday was a one-time thing."

Carrier shakes her head. "She's supposed to get one every afternoon, but with the rise in Decepticon activity, we haven't been sticking with her schedule as well." She sighs softly. "Which is why you need to drink your energon, Sweetspark. It'll get cold."

I push it back and cross my arms. "Wan' Sire firs'."

"You won't get to use that excuse in a moment, Little One."

"No' 'xuse!" I slam my fist down on the table. "Wan' Sire!" Even now, there's moments where someone just won't understand what I want.

"What is going on in here?"

I look up at the door to find Sire standing in the doorway. "Sire!" I slip out of my chair and run over to him before jumping at his pedes, begging him to pick me up. "Up! Up!"

He picks me up before turning to Carrier, who sighs heavily. "She wanted everyone together for lunch, and she refused to drink her energon until you got here."

Ratchet looks up to Sire with a heavy sigh. "And she is refusing to take her recharge nap again."

Sire looks down at me. "Mariposa, Sweetspark, you have to take your nap, or you will be too tired to play this afternoon." I nod to him before laying my head on his shoulder, and he quickly gets his cube before sitting down with the rest of us. He sets me on his lap and starts drinking his own cube as Carrier passes mine over, and I can finally start drinking it. I drink it quickly before curling up on Sire's lap. I'm more tired than I let Ratchet think…

* * *

Third POV

Elita turns to Optimus with a soft sigh. "What took so long? Usually, Agent Fowler wants to spend as little time as possible on the comms with you, but this conversation took over two hours."

Optimus sighs heavily as he sets his now half-full cube down on the metal table. "It took me that long to make him listen to reason."

Miko leans forward in her seat. "Fowler doesn't want you guys to celebrate Christmas? Why not?"

Ratchet scoffs. "According to him, It's a human's holiday, and aliens shouldn't _want_ to celebrate them."

Miko shrugs. "Should have brought up Superman."

Ratchet raises an eyebrow ridge. "Who?"

"He's a comic book character—a Kryptonian who grew up in a human family, then started being a superhero as an adult. He celebrated it every year." She smirks. "Aliens can celebrate whatever they want to."

Optimus sighs and runs a hand over his face. "Either way, Elita and I both have to meet with him and June tomorrow to discuss our plans for the upcoming holiday."

"I can help!"

"Miko…"

Elita sighs softly. "She could be a big help, Bulkhead." She turns to Miko. "You have to listen to the adults, if we let you come."

"I will."

Optimus nods. "Arcee?" The femme turns to him. "I would like you to keep an optic on Mariposa while we are in this meeting."

"Yes, Sir." She turns her attention to the recharging youngling in the Prime's lap. "She's got you wrapped around her little finger."

Miko shrugs. "She's Daddy's girl."

"She is." Optimus runs his hand over the back of the femmeling's helm lightly before shifting slightly to where he's shielding her better from any unseen threat. "Which is why Megatron wants to get to her more than anything else."

"Why would Megatron want—"

Bulkhead looks down to where his charge is laying on her stomach with her feet in the air, working on a picture of Bulkhead. "Mari's a dynasty prime, Miko."

"So?"

Arcee sighs heavily. "So she's—"

Bluestreak cuts in. "She's the heir to the Matrix, Miko. Not to mention that she was the first sparkling for generations to not come from the Well. Optimus and Elita went through a lot to protect her from any threat when she was sparked."

"That's why she was in another dimension?"

"Yes." Ratchet sighs. "It's also why she still clings so tightly to Optimus and Elita."

"She missed them…"

"You are correct, Miko, although she didn't know what she was missing at the time. She left them too young to have any lingering memories of them."

"Oh…" Miko sighs softly. "She really had it hard then, didn't she?"

Bluestreak turns to Miko in surprise. "How did you know?"

"Just a wild guess, Blue." Miko shrugs. "She was a baby seperated from her family. All she wanted was to be loved, and the people who did couldn't even be there for her."

Optimus sighs and finishes off his cube. "I need to get Mari into her berth before she wakes up."

"Optimus…?"

Elita steps over and lays a hand on the girl's back. "Don't worry, Miko. He's not mad at you."

* * *

Optimus steps into Mariposa's berth room and lays the sparkling on her bed before covering her up. Once she's tucked in, he kisses her forehelm before leaving the room, turning off her light as he does.


	3. Setting Traditions

I'm sorry this is so late. I only own my OC's!

* * *

Setting Traditions

The Next Day, Normal POV

I climb out of my berth and go into holoform before changing into a white long sleeved turtleneck with a pink, lavender, blue, and green butterfly print, a white tank top with dark pink and white polka-dot bows on the shoulders and a purple and pink butterfly graphic, a lavender tutu with dark pink and white polka-dot trim and bow on the waist, white opaque tights, and white Mary Jane shoes with pink butterflies on the toes. Carrier and Sire are meeting with June and Agent Fowler today, which means I have to play somewheres else, or be quiets while the adults talks… I know I cans, but I don't wanna.

Carrier steps inside and pulls my hair up into a ponytail, then takes me into the kitchen once I return to my normal form. Once I'm sitting in my seat, she hands me a cube of warmed low grade with my minerals in it, then settles in her own seat with her cube. "Your Sire and I have to meet with June and Agent Fowler later this morning, Sweetspark."

"I know."

"Miko's going to be in with us, and we'll have the other bots with us, too. Ratchet's leaving Raf in control of the command center."

"So who watchy me?"

"You'll have to be in with us, so—"

"I'll have to be quiet." I pout. "I don' wanna…"

"Sweetspark…" Carrier sighs softly. "Your Sire wants you in the meeting."

"Why I need be at meeting?"

"Orion wants your input."

"Oh…" I blink slowly before pulling at my tutu. "I wears this?"

She shakes her head. "You'll need a bath if you want to stay in your holoform." She sighs softly. "Why don't you stay in your bot form?"

"Likey looky human 'roun' humans. Likey dresses, an' tutus, an pwetty shoesies, an'… An' I getta have the life I wanted back on old earth." I blink before giving Carrier the kitten eyes.

She crouches in front of me and runs a hand over my head. "And what kind of life would that be?"

"I loved…" I giggle. "Getta play whenever… Haves Daddy an' Mommy that loves me…" I bounce slightly on my heels. "An…maybe yous lets me do wha' old mommy say no to?"

"What did she say no to?"

"Old mommy say "No" when we getted pageant invite. I wanna be pageant queen, but she say "No you can't" every times I askeded if I cans be pageant queen 'gain. I askeded every year, an' she always says "no, no, no"… Likey it be dangerous if I's lives life on stage, when I likey performs, an' likey be 'n front ofs peoples. She no even lets me sings on holidays. I only gotta sing after she died because I askeded old Daddy—then he 'bandoned me like I was nobody…"

Carrier smiles slightly. "Well, as you know, Autobots give their children more freedom to choose than humans do."

"I cans do?" I beam up at her. "I cans really do?"

"It depends on what Agent Fowler says, and I'll have to ask your Sire about it, but I think you deserve a chance to see if you like them or not." She leads me into my bathroom and puts my tutu outfit on top of the hamper before getting my bath ready with my special Disney Princess bubble bath and lifting me into my tub.

I giggle and reach for my mermaid Barbie before starting to play as Carrier washes my hair. She combs conditioner through, then rinses it out before putting soap on my favorite sponge. She lets me scrub what I can reach, then takes the sponge gently and finishes me. Once I'm clean, Carrier lifts me out with my pink hooded towel with a strawberry hood, then drains the tub before setting me on floor in front of the sink. I giggle as I pull my towel around me, then watch as she dries my hair before combing it through with my red comb.

She finally stops and wraps a pink towel around my hair, since I can't stand wet stuff on my back. Since the rest of me is dry now, too, I pull on my pink strawberry print fuzzy robe and my matching strawberry slippers. I put my special fluoride free strawberry toothpaste on my pink crayon toothbrush and brush my teeth before following Carrier into my room.

I run over to my dresser and pull on my favorite Batgirl and Supergirl print panties, then pull on my yellow camisole, and tuck it into a pair of white tights, followed by yellow dance shorts so my camisole won't ride up under my dress. I then kneel and buckle my shiny yellow Mary Jane shoes before turning to find Carrier standing at my desk.

I run over and flop into my desk chair and swing my legs as Carrier uses a hair dryer on my hair, then brushes and braids it, twisting and turning my hair into an elegant French-braided bun, then takes a yellow ribbon, and weaves it between the two braids on the back of my head. She steps back, finally, with a smile and a sigh. "Now, let's get you dressed."

I bounce up, knowing Carrier did my hair tight enough so it won't fall down from normal kid activity, and run over to my closet with Carrier following slowly behind me.

I hold my arms up as Carrier helps me into a yellow sleeveless, floor length dress with pale yellow flower lace on the chest, a black sash, and a full skirt with a black lace hem that reaches up to my knees in places. Once it's all fastened, she slips a gold diamond tiara into my hair.

I turn to her with a smile and a giggle. "Want to see what you look like?"

I nod, and she leads me over to my mirror. "Wow… I looks lik'a princess…"

Carrier smiles softly at me before fastening a yellow cloak with white fur trim and a hood around my shoulders, then she slips a black and white glittery pacifier around my neck instead of a necklace. I need it to chew on so I'll keep my fingers out of my mouth, and I used them on Old Earth too. "Agent Fowler and June will be here in half an hour. You may play until then, but do _not_ get dirty."

"Colors safes?"

She smiles down at me. "Yes, coloring is safe." She laughs softly. "Just not with markers, and leave the finger paints in your desk for now."

"Okay…" I smile up at her before settling in my desk chair and pulling out my almost-filled human coloring book before settling down to color.

* * *

10:00 AM, Conference Room

Carrier lifts me up to the little white table and chair where I spend my time when Carrier or Sire actually need me to be a part of the meeting, then steps over to her seat to the left of Sire. Aunt Arcee steps in with Jack and June, both dressed up more than normal. She sets them on the table by her seat, and they walk over to the human chairs. Jack's wearing a long sleeved dress shirt with a tie and tan pants, while June's got on a white top and pants, and a teal sweater. June carries a new box of crayons, and a Christmas coloring book over to me. "So you won't get bored during the meeting."

I smile up at her. "Thank you."

Bulkhead steps in then, with Miko in his hand. He sets her on the table before moving to his seat. Miko's got on a dressy plum tank top and boot-cut blue jeans with black spike-heeled boots.

Soon, everyone but Sire has come in. I know he was getting the General and Agent Fowler from the nearby military base, so I'm not worried about him too much yet.

We all look up when Sire walks in. He sets the two humans on the table before sitting at the head of the table. My seat's at the foot when I'm not in holoform, since I'm a Dynasty Prime, too, but I wanna be human right now.

The General turns to the humans. "You three would be?"

"I'm June Darby, and this is my son, Jack."

"She's the nurse?"

Agent Fowler nods. "Yes." He nods to Jack. "Her son is an honorary prime."

"I see…" He turns to Miko. "and you?"

"Miko Nakadai, Sir." Bulkhead's optics widen at how respectful she's being.

The general turns to Agent Fowler in confusion. "What's she help with?"

He smiles. "She helps the 'bots understand differences in Earth cultures. She's here on Elita One's request."

"Understood." He glances out the corner of his eye at the teen one more time before sitting in the last empty chair. He glances toward Sire and gives him a single nod.

Sire nods back, and stands. "It has been brought to my attention that my daughter spent several years with a human family, and has never had real holiday traditions. I believe we need to remedy this over the next few months, but I do not know where to start. That is where this meeting comes in. We need to decide which ones Mariposa will enjoy for the major holidays between now and next November."

"I'll assume that's why the little kid's in here?"

"Yes." I pop my head up at General Brice's comment, and barely notice that Carrier is writing stuff down on a datapad. Sire smiles at me. "She prefers her holoform around humanity."

June turns to me. "So, what were Christmases like for you before?"

I look back down at my new coloring book. "We decorated sometime between Black Friday and December first, with a fake tree. After I was big, I had to do most of it on my own. Then we'd have a lot of chaos and stress, because I'd get 'bused and yelled at…" I sigh softly. "Then we'd go to Stacy's family on Christmas Eve, and my birthparents would stay with us overnight. We'd get up at 5:30 in the morning to get our presents opened. Then we'd do stockings—usually just candy after I was big—and then my old Mom would start cooking something only she and the other adults liked. After it was started, her sister and her family would come over for more presents. Then we'd eat—I ate very little 'cause I didn't like it, of course—and we'd have a boring afternoon."

Sire walks around to my seat at the foot of the table and leans down to where I'm coloring. "What did you want to start doing?"

I blink up at him. "Special Christmas photo…I likey has family pictures…" I pause for a moment. "Drive around see lights…haves Christmas story…sings…watchy movie wif familys…sees Santa Clause…builda snowman—I hasn't done that since Wivy was fives!" I giggle. "I' wa' ginormous, Sire! I finks I still has picture somewheres…" I shrug. "Um…Dressy chri'tmas parties, 'cause I never getta dress ups for Christmas…'members old mommy got candy Advent calendar one year for me an' brover…" I give him a cute look. "An' I always wan'ed to be in beauty pageant…bu' they always say "no, no, no!", an' I no getta be pwetty."

"It doesn't sound like she's too big on getting a lot of presents…"

Agent Fowler shakes his head as he turns to the general. "From what Prime's told me, she was spoiled with presents, but she never got to have the Christmas she wanted while hidden with her human family."

June nods. "It's more about the family traditions and spending time with those you love than presents anyway."

I nod. "And I want to have more of that…I had to hidey in room after presents, 'cause they fout I was 'nnoying…"

Sire runs a finger over my head. "You're not annoying, Sweetspark."

I nuzzle into his finger, desperate as always to feel the loving, fatherly touch.

"I'll see what I can do about getting everything approved with the president." General Brice stands. "I have a meeting with him this afternoon, and need to go before I miss my flight."

Bulkhead nods at a look from Sire, and carries the General into the main room so he can leave.

Agent Fowler picks up where we left off. "So, what were you thinking of doing?"

Carrier sighs softly before smiling at the Agent. "I want to at least try to do most, if not all, of what she asked."

"Even the pageant?"

Carrier glances to me before nodding. "She seems really excited about the idea of having the chance to compete, and I want to give her the opportunity."

Agent Fowler nods. "Get me a list of what you'll need." He starts for Bluestreak, expecting to be placed on the ground.

"Special Agent Fowler." He looks up at Sire. "We have more to discuss."

"You…seem to have it all under control here, Prime. Just get back to me with what you'll need, and I'll get what I can."

"Thank you." Sire turns back to us with a sigh. "Mariposa, Sweetspark…"

I slide out of my chair and walk over to him before looking up at him. "Yes, Daddy?"

He smiles, and runs a hand over my hair. "How would you like to get our tree and buy some decorations on Monday?"

I look up at him. "How many days is that?"

Carrier rests the datapad on the tabletop and smiles at me. "It's the day after tomorrow, My Mari."

"What tomorrow?"

Sire smiles. "Tomorrow is Sunday. Your Carrier mentioned you wanted to go to church."

I squeal and bounce in place. "Yes! I did wanna go church!"

Sire nods and turns to June. "Mariposa requested that she get to be in a child's pageant. Would you be able to get that set up?"

"I guess…" June sighs. "It's not really the kind of life most kids want, Optimus."

I look up to June. "I wanna 'pete, June. I wanna try, because I never gotted to on Old Earth. I 'cides for myself if I likes or not."

"All right, then, Sweetheart. I'll get you all set up."

"Thank you, June."

"She'll need professional photos done…"

Carrier smiles. "We had already planned on that."

I look up at Carrier. "Really?"

She nods. "You're going in next Saturday. I'll set up a family photo then, too."

"I getta do everything I askeded 'bout?"

"If we can, yes."


	4. Back in Church

I only own my OC!

* * *

Back In Church

Sunday Morning, 7:00 AM

"Mariposa?" I can feel a gentle hand shaking me. "It's time to wake up, Sweetspark."

I groan before rolling over to see Sire. "Morning, Daddy…"

"Good morning, Sweetspark." He picks me up and carries me into the kitchen, where Carrier's waiting with Bumblebee and my cube.

"Morning, Mommy. Morning, Bumbee."

Sire sets me into my chair, and Carrier hands me my cube. I smile up at them and quickly drink my warmed energon before it gets cold, then jump up and shift to holoform.

* * *

I run into my room with Carrier following behind me, and quickly pull on a white camisole and tights, making sure to tuck my camisole into my tights before pulling on my poufy slip, then turn to Carrier's holoform with a grin. She helps me into a white sundress with a unicorn, carriage, and rainbow print, a dark pink hem, and a dark pink bow at the waist. I settle in my desk chair while she gets my curling iron ready, then pulls my hair into two ponytails before curling them, then clips on pink and white unicorn hair bows. She slides my desk chair out and slips light pink Mary Jane shoes with rainbows, stars, and unicorns with dark pink trim onto my feet.

"Hop up, Sweetspark." I hop up as I was told, and wait for her to help me into a dark pink cardigan before turning back to her. "I ready now?"

"Yes, you're ready now."

I giggle, and bounce out of my seat before running over to grab my blonde stimy rag doll off the nightstand before running back to Carrier.

* * *

Church, 9:00 AM

Sire leads me into the church by the hand. His holoform is wearing a black suit with a blue shirt and a red tie. Carrier is walking on my other side, her holoform wearing a pink knee length dress and heels. Bumblebee's walking beside Sire, and he's wearing brown pants, a pale yellow dress shirt and a white sweater vest.

I look up when I see June in a yellow dress and teal sweater, and tug Sire toward her. "Hi!"

June smirks before holding out a hand. "Good to see you, Orion." She nods to Carrier, and moves to shake her hand. "Ariel."

"I was not aware you came to this church…"

She smiles. "I've been coming here since Jack's dad left us." She nods down to me. "I assume you're coming for Mari?" Sire nods before leading us the rest of the way in. "Jack's watching my purse, if you want to sit with us."

"Thank you, Ms. Darby."

"We sits with Jack?"

Carrier sighs softly. "The three of us will sit with Jack and June. You'll go to a Sunday school class."

"Yay!"

"Jack can take her once you're settled."

"Thank you, Ms. Darby."

* * *

I look up at Jack as he leads me back to the 4-5 year old classroom. He's wearing black and white with a blue and gray tie. "All right. Here we are. Have fun!"

"I will!" I giggle and skip inside.

Several kids are sitting around a table in the center of the room, while a young woman with curled black hair and a pretty purple dress stands behind one of the kids. She looks up with a smile. "Hey, Jack."

"Brought you a new student." He leads me inside. "This is Marianne Prime. She's the daughter of a friend of mine."

"Well then, welcome, Mari. Why don't you take a seat, and we'll start our lesson."

"Okay!" I run in and sit between two girls at the end of the table.

"Now…" She puts her hands together. "Today we're learning about Jonah. Can anyone tell me who he was?" I raise my hand. "Marianne?"

"Jonah got eated by a whale!"

"Right. Can anyone tell me why he was swallowed by the whale?" I raise my hand again, as does the girl in the yellow dress beside me. "Daniella?"

"Because he got too close?"

"Sorry, Daniella. Marianne?"

"Because he didn't listen to God when he was told to talk to wicked men."

"Right. Good job, Mari!"

"Teacher's pet!"

"I am not." I stick my tongue out for good measure. "I jus' know bible stories."

* * *

Carrier and Sire come back with Bumblebee once the service ends. Carrier smiles and picks me up. "How was class?"

"Good." I glance over to find Daniella glaring at me, and turn to her from Carrier's hip. "Wha' I do?"

She turns away as another woman walks up behind us. "Annie, Dani! Come on, Girls! It's time to go!"

"Coming, Mommy!"

The woman takes their hands and leads them away. "I fink she' jeawous, Mommy…"

"I think she is too." She sighs and carries me outside to Sire's waiting vehicle mode. Most of the men, several boys, and a few women and girls are gathered around it, staring at it almost in awe. Included in the group are Daniella and Annabella.

"Excuse me." Sire slips through the crowd, leading Carrier with me, and Bumblebee through the throng. He opens the driver's side door and steps back. "Quickly now."

I clamber in after Bumblebee, and smile down as Sire boosts Carrier up into the vehicle. "What did you learn in Sunday school?"

"We learn' 'bou' Jonah an' the whale! Whale swallow' Jonah because he no listen' to God when he say "go to Nineveh". He say "sorry", an' God lets him out." I giggle. "It's a yucky

story, but it's fun, too!" We pull into the base, and Sire helps us down before deactivating his holoform and transforming. Carrier and Bumblebee quickly follow him, leaving me standing there in my pretender frame. "Come on, let's go get your clothes changed."

"Okay!" I run after her.

* * *

Carrier helps me into a white sundress with a unicorn, carriage, and rainbow print, light pink shorts with ruffled cuffs, and light pink sandals, leaving in my pink and white unicorn bows. "Now, go ahead and play, Sweetspark."

"Yes, Carrier."


	5. Shopping

I only own Marianne!

To my moronic guest reviewer: Mariposa is a PRIME by BIRTH, and she has ALREADY earned the TITLE by being through a life of hell on OLD EARTH. Bayverse quote: Primes are BORN, not MADE. Mari is a SPARKED PRIME, the FIRST for MILLENNIA, making her doubly special. She is a princess, but she is also BORN a PRIME. Also, Meanie, the reason I use Prime as a SURNAME is because it works. They're in HOLOFORM, and their COVER is the Prime FAMILY. As this, they are NOT looked at as SPECIAL or ROYALTY, JUST as NORMAL PEOPLE. _ONLY_ Agent Fowler, General Brice, and the kids and June know who they REALLY are, and they use the surname/title as a QUIP when they're with the Prime and his family in the HUMAN population. It's kind of an INSIDE JOKE with them.

* * *

Shopping

Monday, 11-28, 9:00 AM

"Mariposa."

I groan and roll over. "Wanna 'charge…"

"It is time to wake up, Sweetspark."

I roll onto my back and look up. "Dada?"

"Good morning, Mari."

I smile. "Morning, Daddy." I sit up and giggle. "What're we gonna do today?"

"We are going to decorate the base." I squeal. "But first, we have to go to the store, so we have what we will need."

"Oh…" I squeal. "Yay! We getta go store!"

"Come on. You need your energon."

"Coming!" I bounce out of the bed and run after him. "Mommy! Mommy! We're goin' shopping!"

"I know, Sweetspark." She sets my energon at my seat. "Now, calm down and drink your energon."

"Okay…" I quickly drink my warmed energon, then bounce back up again. "Gotta get dressed, go shopping!"

Carrier chuckles. "Come on, Sweetspark. Let's get you dressed." We head into my room. I shift to my pretender form and pull on clean underwear, a white cami, white tights, and a pair of white dance shorts. She walks over with a black long sleeved sweater dress with a pink, blue, and lavender butterfly print skirt from the knee, white embroidered butterflies from there to the neck, and down the sleeves, a dark pink satin waistband, and two butterflies on the left shoulder: one pink and one blue, and helps me into it before leading me to my desk chair. She pulls my hair up into pigtails, then braids them, and clips butterflies on the ends before slipping my pink butterfly tiara into my hair. "Now, get your shoes on and grab your purse."

I run to grab my purse, and clip a pink and white butterfly pacifier clip to my collar before slipping a pink butterfly shaped pacifier into my mouth, then rustle through my purse to make sure I have everything I'll need: a stimmy, some fleece, chapstick, something for the asthma and motion sickness I have in my pretender mode, a first aid kit, and charger for my phone…music player…headphones… "Got everything!"

"Good. We'll be ready to leave soon. Grab a jacket."

"Okay." I run and grab my dark pink sweater, then pull it on before hooking my purse straps around my neck and over an arm. "Ready, Carrier."

She steps in, her holoform wearing a white Autobot T-shirt, flare leg jeans, and a pink hoodie with gray tennis shoes. Over her shoulder is a black purse, holding a pink wallet with a silver butterfly decal holding both checks and a debit card with butterflies, and about five hundred from an ATM in case a store won't take checks or the card. "Your Sire is waiting with your brother."

"Okay. Let's go!"

* * *

We stop to pick up Miko before we start for Tranquility. She's got a red and black leather jacket pulled over her Christmas outfit. "Hey, guys!" She turns to me. "Ready to go?"

I squeal. "Yes, yes, yes!" I start bouncing on the seat. "Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"

"Calm down, Mariposa. We will get there in due time."

"Sowwy…"

* * *

We step into the Sears store in the mall, and Carrier turns to rent a single mall stroller for me while Sire returns from the camping section with a light pink package slung over his shoulder with a black canvas strap. "Daddy?"

"It's a wagon." He sets it down and turns to unfold it before nodding to Bumbee, who takes the handle and pulls it over to Carrier, while Sire takes the mall stroller and starts pushing it.

Carrier turns to us from where she's talking with Miko. "We'll start here, and see what we can find that we'll need for decorations. Miko?"

"Start with lights. You'll want a lot, so get…"

I pop my head up. "6 boxes little light for twee."

Miko raises an eyebrow. "How did she—"

"I was college girl on old earth."

"Ah…" She nods and looks at the list Carrier gave her as we step into the aisle for Christmas lights. "Six boxes of each for the main tree." She hands the list to Bumbee and climbs the shelves like she's climbing one of the bots before tossing six boxes of blue lights, and six boxes of white lights to Sire. "And I'd get about twelve to twenty-four boxes for the rest of the base—you know, to string around the railings?"

"That's what the garland's for…" Miko's face falls. "Wan' lights in kitchen, an' in game room, but garland goes on rails."

"Right… The doc wouldn't want lights in his face while he's working." She nods at me. "What kind of lights for those two rooms?"

"Wainbow!"

She tosses the previously stated twelve boxes to Sire, and they land in the large blue shopping cart Carrier's pushing. "And the icicles are for the doorways…" She tosses down six boxes of blue icicle lights before climbing back down. "There." She brushes her hands together before dusting her shorts off. "What's next?"

"Dada?"

"What is it Marianne?"

"I can has…own twee?"

"We're not getting a real tree…" Carrier starts. "But you can have an artificial one."

"Lights around room too?"

Sire glances at Carrier for a moment before turning to the teen, who's leaning back against the shelves acting like she owns the place. "Miko, climb back up and grab six boxes of the pink lights for Mari's room."

"Icicles?"

Sire looks at me. "Flu'erbys pwease?"

"She means butterflies." Carrier laughs. "Get two of the butterfly ones."

"Yes, Ma'am." She tosses them to Sire before hopping down. "All right, what's next?" Bumbee hands her the list.

Carrier smiles. "Let's get Mari's tree first, then we'll get back to the list."

We step up to a large display of Christmas trees. Most of them are green or white, with a "snow-tipped" one here and there. Tiny trees are framing the display, and some scattered among the taller. Sire boosts me out of the stroller before setting me on my feet beside the trees. I walk around the display, knowing Miko's following me but too excited to care. I'm about to give up and pick one of the white-lighted white trees when I spot it—the pink tree I could only dream of owning before now. It's pre-lit—with white lights—and taller than Sire's holoform by a few inches. "Daddy, I want _that_ one!" I point up to it.

Instead of the usual "don't point, it's rude" that I got from my old Mommy, I get a kind-sounding "Of course, Sweetheart."

I skip beside Sire as he searches for the corresponding tan box, and hold my hands under my chin in excitement as he pulls the box off the shelf and puts it on his shoulder before starting back to the cart with my hand in his free one. He puts the tree under the cart before boosting me back into the stroller.

Miko looks up from the list. "Let's do garland now." She leads the way to the next aisle, where the large rack of garland is waiting. She hands the list to Bee and starts climbing.

"Get thirty each of pink, purple, and teal for the main tree." Carrier states to the climbing girl. Miko throws them at the cart, missing from time to time, until the cart is full of the sparkly substance. "Now get two of the dark pink for Mari's tree, and two of the white with the snowflakes." These fly down as well, one of the pinks bonking me on the head and making me giggle. "Now over to the right just a bit…there. We need at least twelve of the green, and ten of the pink—no, the _light_ pink, Miko!" Bumbee and I share a laugh. "There. Now…"

"Beads?"

"Yes, we can have beads. Miko?"

"I'd say blue, if you're going with blue lights too."

"Get twenty of the blue, and two silver."

"Got it!" She tosses them down, then joins us and takes the list from Bumbee. "Now… let's get the ornaments done, then we'll work on the rest."

We grab a tub of large pink ornaments, one of purple, and one of teal, then grab a silver tub and teal tub of medium sized ornaments. "Now, anything special?"

"Chickmunks!"

"Chick—oh, Chi _p_ munks!" Miko crouches to me. "You like the Chipmunks?"

"Woves them! Had almost all movies, old earth!"

* * *

With our cart and wagon both nearly full, we turn to wreaths. Miko runs over to grab them as Carrier thinks over where they're going to go. "One blue wreath…get the green with the poinsettia…green ornaments wreath…the one with the yellow ornaments—there…the white one with the red poinsettias…and the red ornament one…" She sighs. "The pink ornament wreath for inside Mari's door…and…"

"Aqua wreath!"

"The pink and aqua one for outside."

"Now for the Nativity scene."

"The large glass one for the base, and the smaller one for Mari's room." Carrier sighs. "We need to get Mari a stocking too, and—Orion, what is _that_?"

I look up to see Sire holding a pink Frozen® train set. "For the base of Marianne's tree."

"Cute! We used to have one of those in Tokyo!"

Carrier nods towards the cart before walking over to the tree skirts and stockings. She grabs a white-trimmed pink snowflake print tree skirt and tosses in at Sire teasingly before turning to me. "Mari, you need to pick a stocking."

I nod, and stand in the stroller so I can see better. I study them for a moment before pointing to a pink one that says "Princess". "That one, Mommy."

"Okay, then." She grabs it, then starts for the checkout.

"Wait!" Carrier turns to Miko expectantly. "You forgot the toppers." She waves toward a rack of stars and angels.

My eyes land on a pink-and-gold clad angel. "I want her!"

Carrier nods, letting out a long-suffering sigh. "Get the white one for the main tree please, Miko."

With that, we head toward the cash register.

* * *

Sire runs the decorations out to his vehicle mode before re-joining us to peruse the mall's selection of children's Christmas outfits. We head left, glancing in store window after store window, searching for children's clothes.

"The Disney Store! Can we go?"

Carrier glances over to the store skeptically. "Not right now, Sweetheart. We've got a lot to do today."

"Awww…"

Miko sighs heavily from where she's looking at a map a few feet away. "You'll have more luck finding children's Christmas clothes at The Children's Place, and that's at the other end on this side." She sighs. "Then we'll have to come back to Claire's for hair stuff, then we'll have to go all the way down to Shoe Palace, on the other side of the store, for her shoes."

"We need to find formals for her, too."

Miko rejoins us as we start for the end of the hall. "Kids are easy. Their formals are kept with the rest of their clothes. It's harder finding, say, a dress for the winter formal at school."

Carrier gives the teen a confused look. "Miko?"

"Jack asked me." She shrugs nonchalantly. "My parents sent me some money, but I can't find one I like…"

"You can look while we're here, if you want."

"Thanks…"

We step into the Children's Place, and Sire takes me out of the stroller. I reach up to take Carrier's hand, and start to look through the outfits. Each time I find one I like, I point it out, and Carrier grabs one in my size. Then comes the annoying part—trying everything on to make sure they fit. After we finish _that_ , we pay for them, then head back out to the mall proper.

We make the trek back to Claire's for hair pieces to go with the outfits. Besides the new hair bows, we pick out three Christmas tiaras—two have snowflakes, while the third is red and white—a Santa hat with a tiara, and several red highlights to go with my favorite outfit we'd chosen.

We step around the first corner and into Burlington Coat Factory, where we head straight to the girls' dresses. She pulls out about twenty in my size and leads me to the dressing rooms. With my giving most of them a big fat 'NO', she sends sire to pick out twenty more. This time, I smile, and start slipping into the first one.

* * *

We leave the store with fifteen of the beautiful dresses Sire picked out, and head around the second corner to the formal dress shop. Miko chooses a strapless, knee length purple dress with a gold and black peacock feather embroidery on the right chest and skirt.

Our next stop is to buy shoes for my new outfits, and to buy Miko a pair of heels for her winter formal dress. After she pays, then head to the food court for lunch.

* * *

I look up at Carrier from my chicken strips and fries. "Where we goin' next?"

"Well…" Carrier sighs. "We need to go to a bookstore, and order a few things, then I think we'll be done here."

"Awh…"

"But…" She smiles. "We still need to go to a grocery store for cookie supplies and a few other things, so we're not going home quite yet."

"Okay." I blink when I realize something. "Twee?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Sweetheart."

"Sowwy." I swallow. "When we get a tree?"

"We'll get it tomorrow, Sweetspark."

I pout. I wanted to decorate it today! "Okay…"

* * *

I finish my food and Carrier throws the trash away, while Sire boosts me into the stroller and Bumbee takes the wagon's handle. Miko's still eating, but she knows where we "parked", so she'll meet us there.

"What now?"

Carrier smiles. "Now, we're going to place a few orders for things we can't buy, then we'll go to the bookstore." She smiles. "I'll let you get a book if you keep behaving yourself."

"Yay!"

We walk for about a minute, my mute big brother pulling the slowly-filling wagon behind us. We stop at a shop with a dressmaker's dummy in the window and rolls and rolls of cloth on the back wall. "Hello. What would you like to order today?"

Carrier steps up to the desk with a smile as Sire pulls me out of the stroller and leaves it with Bumbee. "I'd like to order a few dresses for my daughter."

The woman eyes me with a smile. "Do I need to measure her?"

Carrier gives Sire a nervous look. "For the glitz pageant dresses, yes…" The woman's smile falls slightly.

Sire sighs heavily. He hates using any of the codes Agent Fowler gave him when they found out about me. "PrimeRID3."

"OH!" The woman quickly puts out a "closed" sign and leads us back to the back room of the store. "Now, then… Y-you were saying?" She sounds nervous.

"Yes. Mariposa asked for us to have a Christmas party on the base, and she wants a dress for her normal form."

"Okay… I'll need you to measure her for me…" she pulls out a measuring tape. "I'll measure her for the pageant dresses first." She gives Carrier a "what the hell are you thinking" look, causing me to look up at her. "I ask for pageant. I wanna be star."

"Ah." Carrier reaches down to take off my sweater dress. "Ma'am—er—"

"Elita is fine…" Carrier glances at the woman's nametag. "Jessica."

"You don't have to undress her. I can measure her just fine." I hold up my arms as Carrier takes it off anyway, revealing my cami, dance shorts, and tights. Jessica sighs and leans down to me. "Okay, Sweetheart. I need you to stand really still for me, okay?"

"Yes, Ma'am." I watch as she measures me from my head to the floor, scrawls something on a table printed on the paper, then sets it down. "How much does she weigh?" Carrier rubs the back of her neck. "This form, Elita."

"32 pounds." Jessica raises an eyebrow. "She doesn't usually eat a lot of human food, and we've had energon shortages as of late. Orion and I skip as much as we can while still being active in the battlefield, but that still doesn't leave a lot for our Mari. Our medic makes sure she gets the best we have to offer, but it's still…" Carrier sighs. "We have more than enough American money, but she's such a picky eater when we give her human food…" Carrier shakes her head sadly. "It's so hard to get her to eat. We can't even get her to drink her energon unless it's been warmed."

Sire sighs. "Our medic is not too worried about her low weight. She gets the required nutrients, she's just…"

"Thin."

Sire nods. "She is never low on energy, either."

"Well, that's good." Jessica turns back to me and measures my chest, waist, hips, legs, arms, and neck, stopping between each new measurement to scratch out another number on her little chart. "All right, that's done." She pulls out a larger measuring tape and hands it to Carrier, who shifts to her normal form and kneels before taking it. "What's her height and weight in this form?"

"72 inches and 103 pounds."

"Okay…" She writes that down before looking up to Carrier. "Now I need you to measure around her chest, just under her arms."

Carrier wraps the tape around me. "60 inches."

"Now do the same for her waist."

"54 inches."

"Thank you. Now her hips."

"66 inches."

"Now do the hollow of her neck to the floor."

"102 inches."

Jessica peeks around me to look at my doorwings. "I'll have to make separate covers for those…"

Carrier smiles. "That's fine."

"I need you to measure them for me."

Carrier gently holds the tape to my wings, causing me to giggle. "You need to hold still, Sweetspark."

"Tickles!"

"I know it tickles." Her own doorwings twitch in annoyance. "30 inches long and…Mari, hold still."

"Sorry, Mommy! It tickles!"

"15 inches tall." She hands the tape measure back to Jessica and returns to holoform. "We'll need zippers on the ends of those so we can attach them to the dress once it's on." She pauses. "We'll need a coat for her, too."

"No problem." She starts for the door. "If you'll come with me, we can pick out what fabric we'll use for the dresses, and styles for the pageant dresses. I should have them ready in two weeks at the most."

"Would you be able to make "Santa hats" for the rest of our team?"

Jessica nods. "Just bring their measurements in when we do Mari's fitting in a week, and I'll do my best." She glances over at me. "Do you want one to go with Mari's dress, too?"

Carrier smiles. "Please?"

"Thank you, Ma'am." Sire nudges me. "Pretender form, Sweetspark. We have to go back into the mall now."

"Yes, Sire." I shift down quickly, and hold up my arms for Carrier to put me back into my dress. I then smile up at Sire as he picks me up. "Can I pick the fabric?"

"Yep." Carrier taps my nose. "And you'll get to help pick out the dress styles for your pageant outfits, too."

"Yay!" Sire sets me on the counter by the wall of fabric choices.

Jessica sets a large book on the counter beside me with a loud thud. "We'll look through the glitz pageant styles first." Carrier opens the book and starts flipping through thoughtfully. On the first page is a child's ball gown. "They don't usually approve of children under ten wearing ball gowns…" Carrier nods and turns the page. The next example is an off-the-shoulder number with a tutu skirt and cap sleeves. "Those are called cupcake dresses. They're the preferred dress for five-year-old girls."

I look up at the woman in shock. "They have boys in pageants?"

"Sometimes." Jessica smiles at me. "They wear tuxedos for beauty."

"Oh…" I shrug and turn back to the book as Carrier turns the page again. This one has one long sleeve and one strap. I tilt my head to the side. It's pretty, but I don't know if I like it enough. "Maybe. Mark it, pwease?" Carrier nods, and holds the page with a finger as she flips to the next page. This one is a halter neck. I shake my head. "Nope…" She turns the page, revealing an orange and pink sleeveless tutu. "Yes! Yes! That one! That one!"

Jessica looks at the dress upside-down. "That one costs three hundred dollars."

Carrier nods. "We'll have that one, and…" She turns the page. It's a one-sleeve dress.

I shake my head. "No-no…"

Carrier turns the pages slowly for a couple minutes, nothing really sticking out to me in the "beauty" part of the book until… "Stop!" It's a long sleeved, teal and white dress. "That one. It cowowful…"

"And this one."

Jessica nods. "Now, she'll need an outfit of choice…" She flips us to that section of her sample book.

The very first page is pictures of several cheerleader outfits in many different colors. "Wanna do cheers!"

Jessica nods. "All right. The full costume is 150." She pulls out her notepad. "What colors would you like?"

"Pink!"

Carrier smiles. "Pink and silver, please?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

She flips a few pages before I put my hand in the way. "Hoops!"

Jessica huffs. "You don't need—"

"I wan' hoops, Carrier!"

"We'll take a set of hoops for her." Jessica gives Carrier a look. "Even if she doesn't use them in pageants, she and her Father both love history." She glances at the hoops page. "We'll take an authentic dress as well, in dark pink, with white accents."

"Yes, Ma'am." Jessica flips the rest of the way to the talent section. "She'll need at least one costume for a talent portion."

"She's been taking ballet lessons…" Carrier flips a few pages to the dance section. "Let's get a blue and white snowflake leotard and tutu, and the blue and silver slippers." She turns to Sire with a slight smile. "And I think we can pay that Disney store a visit before we leave…"

"We can?"

Carrier only nods as she turns back to the book. "We can use that new pink dress in case she decides to sing…" She flips a few more pages. "And the snowflake cowgirl outfit in azure in case she chooses country instead…"

"She'll need swimwear too…"

Carrier looks at me. "One or two piece?"

I think for a moment. "Two!"

"What color?"

"Blue!"

She shows me a picture. "How's this one?"

"Yes! Yes!"

"Okay, you're almost done. What theme is the pageant?"

"Winter Wonderland."

Jessica flips to that section back in the "Theme" chapter. "We've got quite a selection of dresses for you to choose from."

I point to the first picture—a velvet dress with a snowflake. "That one! Snowflake princess!"

"You'll need to get her white patent leather shoes, and lace bobby socks. She's required to wear them for beauty. You can find them at Shoe Palace down the hall." She puts the book away. "Now, about the dress."

"Velvet please?"

"Of course, Sweetheart." She pulls down several rolls of the silky-smooth fabric. My eyes light up when I see the shimmery pink. "That one! That one!"

"That's a good choice, Little One. And your coat?"

"Pale yellow bubble coat!"

Carrier smiles gently. "With light and dark pink star print gloves, scarf, hat, and doorwing covers please."

"Can do." She smiles. "All right, I'll have the dresses and coat ready for a fitting in a week. I'll see you then."

Sire nods and boosts me into the stroller. We leave the store and head straight for the Disney store. Once inside, Carrier looks around the costumes before pulling out an Elsa robe with a hood. "This will work well with the ballet costume." She pays for it before leading us out of the store.

We head down to Shoe Palace again, and Carrier heads straight for the little girls white dress shoes. After grabbing a pair and trying them on me, she nods and grabs two more of the same size. "Just to be safe. They look like they could scuff easy." I giggle and nod. I used to scuff my shiny shoes all the time on old Earth. She pays for the shoes and leads us out of the store, and back to Children's Place, where she picks up a large pack of seamless lace socks and pays for them.

Finally, we step into the bookstore. Carrier grabs a copy of the book "The Night Before Christmas" and the movie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" before turning to Sire. "What else was there…"

"Jack mentioned an Advent calendar…" She looks around for a few minutes before coming back with a "How-To" book about preparing an advent calendar, and picks up a castle-shaped wooden one as well. After they pay, we meet up with Miko outside at Sire's vehicle mode.

"Ready to go?"

Carrier nods. "We need to stop at the grocery store before hitting the base." She turns to me. "Mari, you need to eat more, Sweetheart."

"Tandy."

"No, Sweetspark. Healthy food." She sighs. "Orion, what time is it?"

"Almost five."

"We're stopping for supper before we go to the grocery store."

"Bob Evans?"

Carrier nods. "Sure." She sighs heavily. "But you're going to eat."

Sire looks down at me. "You can even get ice cream if you eat everything on your plate."

"Otay."

* * *

Sire pulls into the Bob Evans parking lot before boosting Carrier, Bumbee, and I out. He takes my hand and leads me inside. After getting me a booster, we find a table and sit down. The waitress leading us there sets a kids' menu/coloring book at my seat, then gives everyone else menus.

Sire picks up my menu like my old mommy used to do for the "babies", and walks me through it. "What do you want, Sweetheart. They have chicken, grilled cheese, mac-and-cheese, turkey—"

I look up at him with my binky in my mouth. "Turkey, wif 'tatoes, cawots, an' I wan' deir stuffin' too pwease, wif gwavy on i'?"

"I'll see what I can do, Baby." He sets the menu down, and I start to color while I wait for the waitress to come back. Sire orders our food—ordering the same thing I'm getting for him, Carrier, and Bumbee before asking for my kiddy order. He also orders me a hot chocolate, as the temperatures outside haven't gotten _any_ warmer.

I eat the whipped cream off my hot chocolate, then go back to coloring. It's too hot for now, and I wanna color.

The plates come out ten minutes later, and Bumbee stares at my plate in surprise. They still have more food than me, but there's more food than I've eaten with them before on the plate. Carrier gives Sire a nervous look. "You're not going to make her eat all of that for ice cream, are you?" Sire nods, barely moving from where he's cutting my meat for me. "She'll make herself sick, Orion."

He slides my plate over to me before looking up to Carrier. "She will be fine, Ariel."

I look between the two before starting to eat. It's one of my favorite meals—one I haven't had in years—so of course I'm going to eat well. I start with my carrots, as usual, then the turkey, then my potatoes. Once they're gone, I turn to my gravy-covered stuffing. Slowly, but surely, I finish the plate. My tummy's really full, but I want my ice cream. My old mommy almost never let me get ice cream here, and I love their smiley face sundae.

Sire gives Carrier an almost-invisible smirk and turns to me. "Do you still want ice cream?"

I nod. "Reese's sundae."

"All right." He flags down our waitress and orders it before pulling me in for a one-armed hug.

I dig in as soon as my ice cream gets to the table, and I'm done with it by the time everyone else is ready to leave.

* * *

We pull into the lot outside the Jasper Grocery at 6 on the nose. Carrier holds my hand as we walk across the parking lot and into the store. Once we get inside, she gets a purple cart and starts leading me around the store, leaving Sire and Bumbee outside.

We go straight for the health and beauty aisle, and get my strawberry bath stuff, then get a Christmas scented conditioner to use as polish, since the normal stuff makes me sick. After we've stocked up on my soap, we head over to the baking aisle to get cookie mixes and a few cookie cutters, with Carrier letting me pick out the shapes. I grab some icing and sprinkles, then we head over to the Christmas aisle to get candy canes. I pick out several different flavors before following Carrier to the checkout.


	6. Sick

I only own Marianne/Mariposa PRIME!

* * *

AN!

To all of those who insist "Prime" must be earned: Yes, I know they say that in TFP, but Google "Dynasty of Primes Transformers movies". In ROTF, there was a scene—one cut out of the movie—where Megatron tells Optimus the Fallen told him he'd make him a Prime. Optimus responds with "Primes are _born_ , not _made_." He was sparked a Prime (In TFP, reincarnated from the Thirteenth, descended from the First, as Orion Pax without knowing his lineage. Alpha Trion knew, though. Elita, though not a Prime, would be descended from Solus because she's a femme.). This connection to Solus and Prima descends to Mariposa. She is _born_ a _Prime_.

Research proving my point and quoted from the page: "...Most revered were Optimus and Megatron. They were twin brothers of the Prime dynasty." ( _The Quest For the ALLSPARK_ ) "In time, The Fallen encountered Megatron, and directed him to form the Decepticons, promising him the powers of a Prime in exchange for his loyalty." (Revenge of the Fallen) "In the battle that followed, Optimus proclaimed that the Fallen had forfeited his right to be a Prime when he slaughtered his brothers, and told Megatron that Primes were born, not made. Realizing he had been betrayed, Megatron and Starscream abandoned the Fallen and used the space bridge he had created to escape. Optimus then impaled the Fallen through the head with his own spear. With the death of The Fallen, Optimus Prime became sole inheritor of the Matrix and the last of the Dynasty of Primes." (Dynasty of Primes Wiki & Revenge of the Fallen)

* * *

WARNING!

This is _going_ to be a tearjerker. Have tissues handy. I almost cried writing it.

* * *

Sick

We get home around seven—which is almost my bedtime. Carrier fixes me a nice, warm bubble bath and lets me play while she puts my new stuff away in my closet—including my new stuff that's going to wait for my first ever pageant. She returns a few minutes later and washes my hair before helping me scrub.

Once I'm dry and snuggled up in my pink and red butterfly pajamas, my wet hair up in two braids for the night so it won't get tangled—I usually prefer to be in my pretender form when we're on Earth, after all—she sits on the side of the bed with a book and reads me a story. Tonight, it's Sleeping Beauty. I cuddle down in my bed with my fleece blankie and Rosie, my teddy bear.

"And they all lived happily ever after." Carrier tucks me in before slipping a pacifier in my mouth. "Good night, Sweetspark. I love you."

"Wuv wu too." She kisses my forehead before giving me a worried look. "You feel a little warm…" She turns toward their door when we hear a metallic clank. Sire had gone to put Bumbee to berth. He's twelve, like Raf, and they're best friends. " _Orion_!"

"What happened?"

"Mari feels warm…"

Sire shifts down to holoform and runs the back of a hand over my cheek. "She is all right." Sire brushes my wet hair back and smiles down at me. "Right, Sweetspark?" I nod up at him. My tummy hurts, and I just feel yucky, but I don't want him to worry about me. "I will have Ratchet look her over in the morning."

"All right." Carrier tugs him toward their berth room. "I'll hold you to that."

I roll over onto my side and pull Rosie to my chest before closing my eyes.

* * *

Tuesday, 11-29, 2 AM

I sit up straight before hugging my tummy. It _really_ hurts now, and I feel like I'm gonna puke. "DADDY!" I slap my hand over my mouth and run to my bathroom before hitting my knees in front of the toilet right before I throw up a mix of energon and my turkey dinner. I puke two more times before I hear the metal door open.

"Mari? Sweetspark?"

I groan and lay my head on the toilet seat. "In here…"

"Mari…" Sire runs over, shifting to holoform fluidly before kneeling beside me. "Sweetspark…" He sighs and runs a hand over my forehead. "You're burning up…" He reaches up to his comm immediately. "Ratchet!"

" _Someone better be purging, or so help me…_ "

"It's Mari!"

Ratchet's instantly off his usual tirade. " _I'll meet you in the medical bay—downstairs._ "

"I will be there shortly." He turns to me right as I puke again—this time on me and the floor as well as the toilet—then start to cry as I end up pooping on myself as well.

"Daddy! Make i' 'top!"

"Oh, Sweetspark… I wish I could…" He sighs heavily before looking around, his eyes landing on the door to my closet. "Hang on a minute. I will be right back." He ducks inside and grabs one of the pull-ups they keep on hand just in case. I hadn't needed them in weeks, but I guess I do now.

He reappears with the butterfly pull-up, my Strawberry Shortcake nightgown, and my strawberry robe and slippers, as well as a strawberry fleece blanket that I had folded up on a shelf in the closet—I have a lot of them, because they're stimmies for me.

He lays them all on the counter—along with my pink metal bucket from my cleaning locker—before pulling out a plain red washcloth and getting it wet. "All right, Sweetspark. We have to get you cleaned up before we can go downstairs." He carefully takes off my pajamas before cleaning the puke and poop off me as gently as he can with the warm cloth. "Now…" He helps me into the pull-up and my nightgown, then slips my robe on me and ties the belt gently. I stick my feet out so he can put my slippers on, then watch as he turns back to the counter. He turns back with my Strawberry Shortcake rag doll and blankie, as well as a fleece blanket. He hands me the doll and blankie before wrapping me up in the blanket. He clips a pacifier clip to my robe before slipping a pink Strawberry pacifier into my mouth, then sets the pink bucket on my lap before scooping me up as gently as he can. "Just hang in there, Sweetspark."

"M'kay…"

As soon as we're off the tile, he shifts back up to his normal form before carrying me against his spark, down the hall to the equipment elevator.

* * *

Sire steps into the medical bay. We'd had to stop once so I could puke again, so the bucket's in his free hand instead of my lap. "Ratchet."

Ratchet leans over from the berth in the main room. "Bring her over here, Optimus." Sire sets me on the cold metal berth. Ratchet runs gentle hands over me. "Symptoms?"

Sire runs a hand over my head. "Purging, diarrhea, fever… possible headache…" He sighs worriedly. "I made her clean her plate last night… Do you think—"

Ratchet slips the ducky thermometer they keep on hand for me under my tongue, then pulls it out when it beeps. "103.5… Primus, Little One…" He sighs heavily before looking down at me as he pushes on my tummy. "Does this hurt, Sweetspark?" I shake my head. "I doubt her illness was caused by a little paternal anxiety on your part, Optimus. We're all worried about her low weight, but we can't do much unless we find some energon. She's too used to it now—she doesn't want human food unless it's sweet." He turns to the medicine cabinet where they keep the human medicines for my pretender form. "It's probably just a virus—possibly cyber-flu, more likely a simple case of gastroenteritis caused by running around with the human population during flu season with her immune system so screwed up." Sire raises an eyebrow ridge. "Stomach flu. I'll keep her in here with me for the day just to be sure." He turns back to me with a small tray. I shy away. I know what it means—yucky medicine. He sets it in front of me. There's a little cup of reddish purple liquid, a little cup of purple liquid, and a literal baby bottle—a big pink metal one—of something. "Take the purple one first. It'll help your tummy." I swallow it and make a face, then quickly down the other one before grabbing the baby bottle quickly.

"What is in the bottle?"

"Children's electrolyte solution. I had Agent Fowler stock us up last time he brought supplies."

"I's stwawbewwy!"

Ratchet nods before picking me up. "I'll get her settled in her med-bay room, Optimus. You need to get back to berth. At least one of us needs to be fully charged in case the Decepticons attack."

"Has First Aid returned yet?"

Ratchet nods, causing me to perk up. "Aidie?"

"Drink, Sweetspark. You need the electrolytes."

* * *

As soon as I finish the bottle, Ratchet carries me back into my little pink and red strawberry themed room and tucks me in before tapping the little pink string on the wall. "You remember what this is for?"

"I pull, you come."

"Yep." He gives me a mock glare. "Don't pull it just because you're bored, though. I'll be doing paperwork in my office until First Aid comes down at six. Try to get some rest, Little One."

I whimper. "No feels goo'. Wan' cuddles…" I reach up to him. "Wock me!"

Ratchet sighs heavily. "Mari, I'm already two weeks behind from the last stint you did in the medical bay!"

I whimper even though he has a point. I'd just gotten out the day before Carrier got hurt in the field—only five days ago. That time I was in here because I had a cold, which quickly became RSV, which then became Croup. Carrier spent the days with me while Sire recharged, and Sire stayed with me at night so Carrier could recharge, and Ratchet stayed in the med-bay for two weeks, barely recharging, because his assistant—and one of my favorite non-family mechs—was out helping Defensor, who was helping in tsunami relief in the Middle East for the last three weeks. The world knows about them, just not us—not really. Besides the code system, we have no contact with the outside world unless we're in holoforms or vehicle mode. My breathing had gotten so bad Ratchet said I'd almost died at the start of the second week.

He sighs heavily. "I can't rock you right now, Mari." With that, he leaves the room.

* * *

Hot Spot's POV

The sound of a comm alert pulls me out of recharge. "Yeah?"

" _Hot Spot, could you come to medical?_ "

"Ratchet? Aid already—"

" _It's not for a medical exam._ " Ratchet sighs on the other end of the comm. " _Mari's in the med-bay again. Tank virus. Came out of recharge and started purging._ "

"Poor thing…"

" _And I'm still trying to catch up on paperwork from her_ last _stay in medical._ "

"Do you need me to send First Aid?"

" _I would have commed_ him _if I needed him._ " Ratchet sighs heavily. " _I sent Optimus to recharge. They've spent too much time already at her bedside…_ "

I know the tone in his voice too well—my brothers and I have just spent the last three weeks helping people in a third-world country recover from a tsunami—and they didn't have enough food to feed everyone either. Aid was a complete mess over the fact that there was so little we could do for the emaciated, starving children—said every single one of them reminded him of Mari. "She's a strong femmeling, Ratchet. She'll survive this." I shake my head sadly. It's never easy for a carrier to watch a sparkling fade away. ' _She has to…for Aid's sake…for_ all _our sake…_ ' I slip out of the pile of my siblings without waking them—not an easy task when they pile _on top of me_ —and start for the door. "I'm on my way."

" _Thank you, Hot Spot… I-I don't know what I'm going to do… She's fading… We don't have enough energon… She doesn't have a Cybertronium deficiency—I made sure of that when we brought her home—but_ all _her mineral levels are way too low. She's severely malnourished—the only reason she's not showing more serious signs in her pretender form is just that—it's a_ pretender _. Normally I'd—_ " I step in the door and find Ratchet sitting on the exam berth in the main room—one he or Aid will use to recharge when patients need them close by—leaning on his knees and staring intently at the floor. I step over and lay a hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up to me, revealing the coolant streaked on his faceplates. "Normally I'd be able to do something—report the parents for neglect, or give the little one something to help them take in nutrients better, but here… Primus, Hot Spot! I can't—I can't watch a _sparkling_ fade because we don't have enough fuel! At least Bumblebee's been _eating_ when we offer human food! Mari won't even eat _half_ the food we offer, and we don't have enough energon, and no minerals—I've gone so far as to put a dose of Cybertronium in her pedialyte to try and give her immune system a boost, but… We're grasping at straws now. If she doesn't start _eating_ soon…we're going to lose her. There's not much else Aid and I can do for her… I can't tell Orion he's going to lose his baby girl…I-I c-can't—" He sobs harshly for a minute before managing to pull himself together. "The kids even know she's fading—after that last virus almost took her from us, I had to tell them… Miko's got it in her head that she's got to make her last days the best days she's ever had—Primus, Spot! We're preparing to celebrate _human_ holidays just because she didn't have very memorable ones in the other dimension—just because Miko wants her to have—t-to h-have—o-one…l-last…C-Christmas…"

I can't believe this much has happened in the three weeks we've been gone—Mari's… _dying_. "Don't humans have a drink to prevent malnourishment?"

Ratchet tries and fails to disguise a sob as a scoff. "We tried it. She can't drink it."

"Ratchet…"

"We got her some in her favorite flavor—made her drink one last Wednesday. She told us it was too sweet for her after a sip—compared it to some protein drink her human family gave her when she was ten—told a whole story of how a medication for hyperactivity caused her to purge for a week—those afthelms didn't care enough to take her off it, they just lowered the dosage—and made her drink something called Boost." Ratchet sighs sadly. "She tried, so hard, Hot Spot, to keep it down, even though the sweetness made her feel like purging—femmeling chugged at least three glasses of water trying to keep it down for us…"

"But she purged it anyway…"

"All over the couch in the main room. That was a pit of a job to clean up." He laughs—a bitter, emotionless laugh. "I didn't even have the spark to try again—not when she purges her _milk_ half the time!" He shakes his head. "Optimus feels guilty because he made her clean her plate at the restaurant they went to last night, and now she's purging."

I sigh heavily and lay a hand on his knee. "I'll sit with her for a while. You need to take a break."

"I can't… That paperwork's about getting the silver and copper to flavor her energon so she'll actually _drink_ it, and trying to get the government to at least give us some iron to _try_ and supplement her—vitamins for human children don't have _enough_ , and I don't want to risk her fragile state by giving her more than the stated dose!"

* * *

Normal POV

I look up from my blankie and doll when I hear footsteps, and smile when I see the light blue legs under the curtain. The curtain is quickly pulled aside to reveal Hot Spot. "Pots!"

He steps over to the rocking chair Ratchet keeps in here for Carrier or Sire. "I heard you were sick again."

I nod. "Puk'd awl ober me." I look down at my doll before reaching up to him with my blankie in my arms. "Wock me?"

Hot Spot steps over and pulls me into his arms before settling into the rocking chair. "Ratch told me you were getting ready to celebrate Christmas?"

"Uh-huh!" I smile. "We buyed wots of decowations, an' I getta has my own twee—I nevew gotta has my own twee befowe!"

"Wow! That's so cool, Mari."

"I gotted Chickmunks ownaments for my twee, an' I gotted fwu'erby icy lights fo' my doo'ways, an' I gotted a twain for twee! I neber, eber haved twain for twee 'fore! Siwe gon' ge' giwnowmus twee fo' main woom, an' we gotted you guys wainbow w'eath fo' you doo'!"

* * *

Hot Spot's POV

I shake my head, doing my best not to laugh and cry at the same time. She's _dying_ , and she _still_ has as much energy as I usually do. I've _got_ to calm her down somehow. "What's Christmas about?"

She slips the strawberry pacifier out and cuddles into my armor. "Christmas is a holiday that celebrates Jesus' birth. Most people don' care 'bout Jesus. It's also when Santa brings good boys and girls presents, an' people gives each other gifts too." She nuzzles in closer and yawns. "An' i' so peoples can see famiwy dey no'…getta see much." With that, she drifts off in my arms. I run a finger over the tiny, human-like cheek. "We might not have been around much lately, Little One, but we really do love you…like you were a part of us… Please… You _have_ to fight through this… Little Sister… _please_ …" I use my free hand to wipe away the tears threatening to spill over.

* * *

6:30 AM, Normal POV

I shift before opening my eyes. My tummy's starting to feel better, and I'm starting to get hungry. I know I'll have to have something liquid—and human—but I don't really care.

I look up and smile. Hot Spot's sound asleep sitting up, still holding me like he was when I went to sleep.

I turn slightly when I hear the curtain move. "How are you feeling, Mari?"

"Hi Aidie." I point up. "Shhhh. No wakey Spot. He tiwed."

"I won't." He slips the ducky thermometer under my tongue and waits for it to beep. "98.5. Ratchet's going to be happy to hear that your fever broke." He glances to the door before turning back to me. "Think you could drink something for me?" I give him an uncertain look. I don't want anything yucky. "Just a little juice, Mari."

"Like last night?"

"Yep!"

I nod. "'Kay." I blink up at him. "I haves chicky bwoth too?"

Aid and I jump, and Spot jolts awake, at the sound of metal clattering and glass breaking in the doorway, and turn to find Ratchet standing there, the remains of a thankfully empty energon cube, a purple metal baby bottle, and the metal tray he uses to bring me medicine and food when I'm in the med-bay at his feet. "You okay, Ratch?"

Ratchet blinks before bending down to pick up the bottle. "I brought Mari's "juice"." He hands the bottle to Aid before moving to clean up the glass. "Aid, can I see you when you're done here?"

"Of course." He hands me the bottle before following his mentor out.

I lie back in Spot's hand and start drinking my juice, resting my head on his wrist.

"What just happened?"

I pull the bottle out to look up at him. "Ratch droppded a 'gon cube an' his tray on'a floor. Maked a big _CWASH_!" I smile. "How you sleep?"

"All right. How are you feeling?"

"Better dan I did wast night."

"That's good." He stands and lays me on my personal medical berth before stretching. "I'm going to go check on my brothers and get some energon, okay? I'll come back later today, if you're still in here."

"M'kays."

* * *

Hot Spot's POV

I step out and make a beeline for Ratchet and Aid. "What happened back there?"

"Good morning, Spot."

I nod to Aid, too focused on Ratchet—who flat refuses to let Aid see him like I did last night—to respond out loud. ~ _ **Morning, Aid. Sorry I snuck off last night.**_ ~

~ _It's fine, Spot. You were here with Mari._ ~ Aid nods. "I'll go upstairs and get that broth started."

"Broth?"

Ratchet watches Aid leave, waiting until he's out of earshot before turning back to me. "Mari asked for some chicken broth. She hasn't physically asked for something to eat or drink in months, Hot Spot. _Months_. She just gets her own water, and everything else, we've had to almost force on her. Elita's at the point where she gives Mari _anything_ —even _candy_ —just to get her to eat _something_."

"Maybe she's homesick, Ratch. Bumblebee was _bad_ when we first got to this planet. Maybe she misses her organic niece and nephew."

"It's not that. She was too desperate to come with us. I doubt she's depressed, because she's been too cheerful, and her PTSD hasn't caused problems that mimic it since before the humans came around." Ratchet sighs. "I'm worried she knows more than we want her to about our situation here. She's as hyper-aware as Streetwise, Spot. It's almost impossible to keep things from her."

"You mean…" I shake my head. "Mari wouldn't starve herself for us…would she? I mean, she was too willing to give her food to others back in the other dimension, but she still ate well enough herself."

Ratchet sighs. "She's too young to have the mental discipline it would take to go completely off something. This isn't planned. Something's _making_ her not want to eat." He glances at something behind me and sighs. "You need to get some energon. You haven't fueled fully in three weeks."

"But—"

"Go. Don't come back until you've had a full cube."

* * *

Normal POV

I blink before slipping back into my bed and picking up my rag doll. "They's worried 'cause I jus' no' hungry lots, 'Berry. I hadda force myself to eat sometimes on Old Earth, but I did 'cause I was the only one looking out for me. Now that my tummy's smaller, an' I puke when I ea' too much or forcey myself, I gotta no eats human food. I can' helps dat Unca Megsy takey all da 'gon, an' dat's all I cans ea'." I sigh. "I no wan' 'em worries, bu' dere nofin' I cans do makes dem stop."

"Who are you talking to, Sweetspark?"

I look up to find Ratchet standing in the doorway, and wave my doll. "Talky 'Berry." I watch Ratchet sit beside me. "Wha' you needs?"

He sighs heavily. "How much did you hear?"

"You worry 'bou' me, cause I no eats much."

He nods. "Mari…" He sighs heavily. "I'm only talking to you like this because you were a medic with Aid and I during the war in the other dimension." I nod. "Sweetspark, if you don't start eating more…you won't even live to your sixth vorn."

I blink up at him, a tear rolling down my cheek. "I no wanna weaves Dada…I wan'ned Mama, Dada, Bumbee, Old Earth…" I throw myself into his leg as I start to cry harshly. Ratchet lays a hand on my back. "I no _wan'_ go bye-byes! I no _wan'_ go Well! _I wan' stay Dada_!"

"I know, Sweetspark… We don't want to lose you either…" The hand on my back moves for a moment, and comes back damp.

"No cwies, Watch!" I stand up and hug him as well as I can in my pretender form. "No cwy fo' me! I's twying! I is! I twying weally hards, bu' my tummy smaller, an' I jus' no' hungy wots… Human foods weiwd now dat I usted to 'gon, an…gwitch no wets me ea'."

"Aid went through something like that, after he was hurt. Scared the crap out of his brothers." He gives me a sad smile. "How 'bout this? You keep trying for us, and I'll do whatever I can to help you out."

"You no gives me you 'gon eider, Watch. You _needs_ dat—we needs _you_."

"You told her?" The two of us look up to Aid, who's standing in the door with a silver bottle—if you're wondering about the bottles, Ratchet makes me use baby bottles in the med-bay, because sippys leak and I spills normal cups even with lids.

Ratchet sighs. "I had to, Aid. You know how competent she is—sparkling or not…" He looks down. "I had to know…if she was doing it on purpose…" I start reaching for the bottle. I want my broth!

Aid, not noticing my grabby hands, holds it just out of reach. "Is she?" Ratchet shakes his head. "It's her Autism. She's had energon for so long, human food's just too weird for her body to accept completely now."

"Sensory gets her coming and going, doesn't it?" He glances down at me. "Oh!" He hands me the bottle. "Sorry, Sweetspark."

I start drinking it, leaning back against Ratchet's leg. "If she can keep that down, I'll let her go back to her room."

"Good thing we got her bathroom cleaned up last night."

I sit up at the sound of Sire's voice. "Daddy!" I shift to bot form and ditch the bottle to reach up to him. "Up! Up! Uppy!"

He picks me up before sitting in the rocker. Ratchet hands me the ditched bottle. "You _have_ to drink this, Sweetspark."

I take it, but look up at Sire. "I no wanna weaves you, Dada… Wuvs you."

Sire looks down at me. "I don't want to lose my little princess either." He looks up to Ratchet. "She knows…"

Ratchet nods. "If she's competent enough to be a field medic, she's competent enough to know what's going on." He sighs. "I'll let her go with you, so long as she rests today. No decorating."

"Aww. But Ratch!"

"No. _Tomorrow_ , you can decorate. _Today_ , I want you to _rest_. Orion…" Sire gives Ratchet a confused look. "I'm going to have Agent Fowler give us the months' grocery budget when he comes by this afternoon for the paperwork about Mari. Day after tomorrow, I'm taking her out, and we're going to _try_ to find things she'll be able to eat—even if it's only one thing, it's better than her practically starving because of our energon shortage."

"She did all right with the turkey at the restaurant yesterday."

* * *

Third POV

Optimus sighs heavily as he adjusts the now-recharging, sickly princess in his arms. "Have you found out why she refuses human food, even in her pretender mode?"

"I'll keep that in mind." Ratchet nods. "It's her "glitch", as she calls it now."

Optimus buries his face in his free hand. "Ratchet, I can't… If this is my fault…"

"Come on, _Orion_." Ratchet sighs. "Just because you have a milder form of Prowl's…problem…it doesn't mean it's your fault. Mari's systems are so used to energon, they're refusing all but small amounts of human food, which wouldn't be a problem in ideal circumstances, but—"

"My _brother_ is trying to kill my _daughter_."

"Which I am attempting to prevent." Ratchet sighs heavily. "We're at the beginning of yet another war, Optimus, but this one is worth far more than our home, and will be far harder than taking on your brother will ever be."

"The fight for survival usually is." Optimus stands with the femmeling cradled in his arms, wrapped in the strawberry print fleece blanket from the night before. "Could you get the bucket from last night, and her blanket and doll?"

"Of course."


	7. Decorating

I only own Marianne

* * *

Decorating

Wednesday, 12-1, 7:45 AM

I sit up on my berth and look over at Carrier and Sire's door. I spent most of yesterday coloring in my datapad coloring book, since Ratchet wouldn't let me do anything else. I slide off my berth and pad barefooted in my Strawberry Shortcake nightgown over to their door before knocking. "Mommy?"

The door opens, and Carrier steps in. She and Sire spent an hour in the upstairs medbay with Ratchet yesterday, while Bumbee sat with me. Ever since then, they've both been sadder than usual, and they give me upset looks when they think I don't notice. I think he told them I might not survive this last earth-year before I turn six. She shifts down to holoform and crouches to me. "How are you feeling, Baby?"

"Bettew. Wanna go ge's twee!"

"All right. Give me a minute, and we'll get you dressed."

"Otay."

Carrier ducks back into their room in her normal form and talks to Sire for a minute before coming back. "All right. Your Sire says we're going to Montana, so we have to get you dressed really warm, okay?" I nod, and she returns to holoform before pulling out my clothes. Once I pull on clean underwear, she helps me into several layers of clothes: lavender long johns and socks, a light pink Strawberry Shortcake shirt and orange leggings with orange socks, and finally, an orange fleece pullover and dark pink jeans with thermal socks, a dark pink fleece vest, my orange hiking boots and dark pink knit hat and gloves. She slips a compass on a string over my head, clips an orange pacifier to my collar and buckles a pink fanny pack with my inhaler, some chapstick, and a water bottle around my waist. Before anything else, she hands me a purple pill and a red vitamin. I stick them into my mouth and chew them up one at a time. "Ratchet said we need to take you to see an optometrist before we get the tree."

" _Mommy_ …"

"You failed an eye exam, Sweetspark. You need—"

"Den I wanna has _Watch_ owder gwasses! He 'no' wha' I needs! I no needs see eyes doctow!" I shout with my binky in my mouth. "I wanna ge' twee _now_!" I stomp my foot. Ratchet spent half an hour in the downstairs medical bay, testing my pretender form's eyes for vision problems and finding the required prescription to make me able to see clearly again, before he took Sire and Carrier into the upstairs medical bay—mainly for life-or-death emergencies and breaking bad news rather than minor injuries or illness.

Carrier sighs before pulling out her dark pink human cell phone and calling Agent Fowler.

" _Fowler._ "

"Rick sent you Mari's optical prescription, right?"

" _Yes…_ "

"Pick out something that's not too flashy at the optical shop in the mall. They'll have them done in a few minutes." She sighs. "The woman running "Sewing by Jessica" needs to sign a confidentiality form. CodeP."

" _Yes, Ma'am. I'll meet you at the house in an hour._ "

"I'll see you then. Thank you."

" _Buh-bye._ "

Carrier sighs. "We'll have to go the the fake house for about an hour, Sweetspark, then we'll get the tree. Okay?" I nod, a frown plastered on my face. She crouches in front of me in her holoform. "Sweetspark…think you could eat something for me while we're waiting there?"

"I twy…"

She hugs me. "That's all I ask." She stands and returns to her normal form before stepping over to their door. "Orion?" She pauses. "Mari and I need to meet Agent Fowler at the fake house. Make sure Bee's ready to leave when we get back. Mari's really anxious about getting the tree."

* * *

Elita One's POV

I sigh heavily as I pull up to the fake house and park in the driveway. "All right, Sweetspark. We're home." I climb out and slide the seat forward before undoing the restraints so I can take her out of her booster. It's got full car seat restraints, which we have to use because of her low weight. Even though her redesigned pretender form was made to mimic the human body, but it hasn't really mimicked the growth restrictions of malnutrition very well. She's the right height for a healthy child, but everything else…

I scoop my bundled daughter up and carry her inside as quickly as I can. She's recovering from a stomach bug—I can't let her purge because she's too hot.

I set her in her booster at the table before turning to the stove. "What do you want to eat, Sweetspark? It has to be something gentle on your tummy, so…"

"Oa'meal? Wif st'awberry, an…" She pauses. I have to force myself to hold back tears. She actually wants to eat! "I has waffle too?"

"Of course, Sweetspark!" I start pulling out what I'll need to cook her food, all the while glancing out the corner of my eye at her. Once the water's on, and I have the waffle iron warming up, I step over to take her hat and gloves so she can eat, then turn back to the stove.

* * *

 _Ratchet leads Orion and I into the upstairs medical bay, his expression hard. He motions us to sit on one of the emergency medical berths before sitting on the other. "I sincerely hoped this wouldn't become necessary…" He sighs heavily. "Mari's severely malnourished. Between energon shortage after energon shortage, the number of times we've had to ration in the last year, Mari's inability to stomach most human food because of her heightened sensory network, and our severe lack of minerals for her energon…" He trails off, and I can tell he's barely holding himself together long enough to be professional. "She's fading. If we can't find a stable supply of energon before long, she won't make it to her sixth vorn…"_

 _I give him a desperate look. "What about my energon? Can't you reactivate my Carrier programs?"_

 _"Unless we find an energon deposit within the month, we'll only be straining another bot's systems beyond what they can safely take, Elita."_

 _"I have Carrier programing as well."_

 _"Optimus…" He shakes his head. "Parental desperation is a comforting sign with creators in your position, but trust me, it will only create more problems unless we find a large deposit before Megatron does."_

 _"I am well aware, Ratchet." He sighs. "But there has to be something we can do for her."_

 _"If I had any more ideas, we wouldn't be having this conversation. She's weak, she's sick all the time, her immunity is far too low for my liking, and she failed her eye exam today. I'm already taking her shopping in two days to try and find her something among humankind that won't make her purge. There's not much else we can do now. It's all in her hands." Ratchet sighs heavily. "If we find a deposit before the end of the year, we'll try sparkling energon. It's a lot better for her than low grade is, especially in her weakened condition."_

* * *

I sigh and dish up the oatmeal before putting the strawberries I'd already diced into it and stirring. Once that's finished, I put a quarter of the waffle on the plate and cut it up. Once it's cut, I put some strawberry syrup on top—it's the only flavor she really likes—and carry the two dishes to the table. While she eats—slowly—I finish the last of the waffle off, wash the dishes I'd used to cook, and move to the door to watch for Agent Fowler.

The man pulls up a few minutes later and I let him in before leading him to Mari. "Sweetspark…"

Agent Fowler pulls out a light pink case, and opens it to reveal a kids' pair of glasses—clear in front, with pink and purple earpieces and hearts on the hinges. He steps over and slips them on her face before checking to make sure they fit her well, then steps back. "Well, that's about all we need to do here."

"Thank you, Agent Fowler."

"It's really no problem, Ma'am. I-I hope she starts feeling better soon."

"We all do…"

* * *

Normal POV

"We go get twee now?"

"As soon as we get home and get your sire and brother."

"Yay!" I run out to her vehicle mode and climb in.

I run over to Sire and grin as Carrier runs up behind me with my hat and gloves. She pulls the hat on before helping me into my gloves. "Daddy, Daddy! It's time'a ge' twee!"

"I know." He holds up a hand. His holoform is wearing a red polo and jeans with a blue and white puffy jacket. "Hold up, Sweetspark."

I pout. "Why I gotta wait _now_?"

"Because I have to get my trailer hooked up first. Bumblebee, watch your sister."

I look up to Bumbee. His holoform is wearing a yellow, black, and white striped shirt and dark blue jeans with a black and yellow hoodie and yellow coat vest. On his feet are black tennis shoes with yellow laces. "Hi, Bumbee. Wanna go ge' twee."

"I know, Little Sister." He crouches in front of me. "But we have to wait for Sire. He's not _quite_ ready yet."

* * *

We pull up to a large, empty forest. Sire climbs out in holoform before helping everyone out, twirling me before setting me down. We head off to choose our large, main room tree.

When we finally find it, Sire cuts it down before carrying the taller-than-him tree to the truck. Once he gets it put away in the trailer, he calls back for a bridge.

* * *

Once we're home, Carrier helps me out of my now-wet clothes and into a light blue long sleeved dress with silver snowflakes at the hem and a silver waistband with a bow, blue and silver snowflake print tights, and silver Mary Jane shoes, while Sire goes out after a stand for the Christmas tree.

We head out to the main room to join the bots not on patrol. Miko jumps up from her spot on the couch. "Are we ready to do this thing or what?"

"We're just waiting on Orion."

Jack sighs and leans on the railing. "How's Mari feeling?"

"I's 'kay, Jacksie." While I'm happy I don't have to worry about pretending to be okay anymore, I hate that they know.

"That's good, Sweetspark." He turns to face Carrier. "Guess it's time we get to work, then?" He sighs heavily. "Mom's still at work, but the rest of us can help…"

"Does June even know…about Mari's condition?"

Jack rubs the back of his neck as he glances at Miko and Raf. "She knows Mari's been sick, and she knows about the energon shortage, but I don't think she knows how bad Mari's gotten…" He lets out a shakey sigh. "That this could be her last Christmas…"

I look down. I don't want them worrying about me. "Where's Aidie? An' Spot? An' Streets?"

"They're on their way, Sweetspark." She crouches to me. "Ready to get started?"

I nod, my new glasses sliding down my nose. I push them up again with a huff before grinning up at her. "Yep!"

* * *

Carrier pulls out the bags from day before yesterday and starts pulling out decorations. She smiles as she pulls out the wreaths. "These need to be hung on your doors as soon as possible." Carrier pulls out the blue one first. "Arcee…" The green ones… "This ornament one is for your door, Bulkhead…and this one's for above the ground bridge, if you would, Hot Spot…"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"This one's yours, Bee." He takes it and starts back to hang it up, prompting Arcee and Bulkhead to follow. "This one's for your room, Streetwise." She turns to Ratchet. "This one's for you, and we've got an extra if you want one in the medical bay downstairs."

"This is fine, Elita."

Carrier sighs and hands First Aid a red ornament wreath. "Could you put this on mine and Optimus' door, please?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Hot Spot, we'll need Defensor's help with the ceiling lights, once Aid returns."

He nods. "Protectobots, form Defensor!"

I squeal and clap as the massive bot takes shape in front of me. "'Fensor! 'Fensor!" I jump at his feet. "Uppy, up!"

"Mariposa…" Carrier sighs and gives the titan an apologetic look.

"She's fine, Elita." The massive hands pick me up and set me on one massive shoulder, then reach over for the icicle lights. After Carrier gets them ready, he strings them across hooks they _must_ have put up yesterday, while I was resting.

While they're putting up the icicle lights, Carrier starts unpacking the Nativity scene with Jack and Miko, and Raf starts coiling the lighted evergreen garland around the railings on the platforms.

Defensor shifts down to his component parts, and takes the rainbow lights before heading back for the game room and kitchen. Carrier hands Miko the stocking I'd chosen, and she runs over and hangs it by the elevator. "That way, Santa can get to it!"

Carrier gives Miko a confused look. "Who's Santa?"

"He's this fat guy that brings presents to good children on Christmas Eve."

Carrier raises an eyebrow ridge, causing Jack to sigh. "Miko, take Mari back to her room for a minute."

"Jack, I knows the story alweadys."

Miko gives me a surprised look. "And you still believe?"

"Uh-huh!" I giggle. "I always have! Even when I looky likes you!"

Jack shrugs. "Okay then…" He sighs. "I don't know exactly where it started, but "Santa" is actually the Mom and Dad. Again, I don't know the whole story, but it's a tradition to leave out milk and cookies for him, and some parents leave treats for the reindeer as well. The parent, of course, to keep the child's belief, eats the cookies, drinks the milk, and leaves presents from "him" under the tree for their children."

"And this doesn't scare the children?"

"Some of them are scared to take pictures with the people who play him in the mall, or even sit on his lap and tell him what they want for Christmas because he's a stranger, but the idea of him doesn't scare the kids, no."

"I likes Santa, Mommy!" I start skipping around the main room, singing as loud as I can while still doing my best.

Here comes Santa Claus,  
Here comes Santa Claus,  
Right down Santa Claus lane  
Vixen, Blitzen, all his reindeer  
Pulling on the reins  
Bells are ringing, children singing  
All is merry and bright  
Hang your stockings and say a prayer  
'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight

* * *

Third POV

Optimus transforms and steps over to where the humans are talking with his bondmate with a chuckle over their skipping, singing daughter. "Looks like someone's having a good day."

Elita nods. "I managed to get her to eat something this morning—and it's stayed down thank the All Spark—and she's been helping decorate."

"Did Agent Fowler get her glasses?"

Elita nods. "And she's doing well with them so far." She sighs heavily and looks up to her bonded sadly. "What if…" She leans into him. "What if she doesn't make it, Orion? What if we lose her?"

"We will make it through this, Sweetspark. We cannot give up just yet—not while she still has such life in her."

Elita sighs. "I know… She's just…so tiny, Orion… She barely weighs enough to be out of a human's car seat, and she's still barely eating enough to keep a sparrow alive."

"Mommy!"

"You are being summoned, Ariel."

"Mommy! Sing with me!"

Elita laughs softly. "So it seems."

* * *

Optimus' POV

I watch my bond-mate and our tiny daughter dance around the room for a moment before turning to get the tree set up. While the children and Elita are singing something cheerful—something about a living snowman—I've got a more solemn song playing privately over my comm.

It's the news that no one hopes for  
Every parent's greatest fear  
Finding out the child you love so much  
Might not make it through the year  
Now the thought of spending Christmas  
Without him just feels wrong  
They've been praying for a miracle  
Now they're praying he can just hold on

As the prime, I have no choice but to hold it together in the worst of times. I have to be a rock for my people to turn to. Now I am the one in a crisis—I personally need someone to turn to, and I find I cannot bear to burden my team with the weight I carry. My daughter—a dynasty prime in her own right—is dying from malnutrition. We have money to buy her food—that is not the issue. She is unable to stomach most human food after almost a vorn without it, and we have very little energon, and no minerals to speak of for her energon. Even with Ratchet doing his best, we could lose her within the next four earth months.

They said he wouldn't make it  
Looks like he got to see it after all…

One last Christmas, one last time  
One last season when all the world is right  
One more telling of the story  
One more verse of silent night  
They gave everything so he could have  
One last Christmas  
One last Christmas…

Their song has changed, and they have stopped dancing around the room, leaving Mariposa standing in the center of the room, singing alone, while the humans rush around, spreading signs of their holiday around our temporary home.

I'll be home for Christmas  
You can count on me  
Please have snow and mistletoe  
And presents under the tree  
Christmas eve will find me  
Where the love-light gleams  
I'll be home for Christmas  
If only in my dreams

I—embarrassingly—jump as Elita settles beside where I am knelt, attempting to get the tree into the stand. "Are you okay?" I sigh heavily. "Orion, it's not wrong to let someone in."

"I will be fine, Ariel. I…" I sigh heavily, trying to keep the emotion out of my tone. "I don't want to watch her _die_ …"

"I don't want to either." She sighs. "But we'll find a deposit soon. We just have to keep hope."

"We have no other choice." I sigh and stand before nodding. "Mariposa."

* * *

Normal POV

I look up to Sire with a smile as he continues. "It is time to decorate the tree."

I squeal and run over to him to watch as he strings the lights and garland around the tree, then turns to the rest of us. Miko's got the tubs of ornaments opened up, so I run over and pull a large pink bulb out before running over to hang it as high as I can reach, prompting the other bots to start grabbing the pink, purple, teal, and blue ornaments and putting them on the tree. "Come on, Mommy! Help us!"

Carrier nods, but walks over to the bags still waiting in the middle of the room. "I got some special ornaments for the team while the two of you were picking Mari's tree."

"Oh!" Miko smiles. "Cool!"

Carrier pulls out a purple and lime green guitar first. "Miko, this one's yours…Jack…" She pulls out a cowboy boot and hands it to him, before handing him a nursing ornament. "And this one's your mother's, but you can hang it since she's not here. Raf…" She holds out a detailed laptop ornament.

"Thanks, Elita!" The preteen takes it excitedly and hooks it on one of the lowest branches.

She pulls out an ornament that looks exactly like Arcee's vehicle mode. "Arcee."

She takes the ornament and studies it. "How did you manage to find these… It's almost an exact match…" She turns and hangs it on the tree right at her eye level.

Carrier shrugs. "Bulkhead." She hands him an exact replica of his vehicle mode in ornament form, which quickly finds its way to the branch closest to Miko's guitar." "Bee."

She hands him his Camaro ornament. " _ **Thanks, Carrier!**_ " He hangs it beside Raf's, then turns to place said boy on his shoulder with a tub of purple ornaments so they can get to work.

"Ratchet." The medic turns from the computer, and an ambulance ornament changes hands before the medic crosses the room to join us. "Mari."

I turn and take two ornaments from Carrier—my "Princess Marianne" baby ornament, and a pink sparkly star ornament—before turning to Ratchet. "Uppy, Ratch, uppy!"

The medic shrugs before setting me on his shoulder, giving me a slight smile before turning to place his ornament on the tree. Once his is in place, he cups a hand under me, and holds me out so I can put my ornaments on as well.

"Orion." She hands Sire a semi-truck ornament and a red Autobot ornament, then takes her own Mustang ornament before turning together to hang them on the tree.

By now, most of the new ornaments are somewhere on the giant tree. Sire hands Agent Fowler's USAF ornament to Jack, who hangs it in the front of the tree for the ex-ranger. Carrier hands me a dark pink ice skate ornament, a white butterfly bulb, and a silver tiara ornament before lifting me so I can put them on the higher branches.

Arcee walks over with the boxes of candy canes, and uses her finger to gently pop the plastic wrapper before handing a box each to the three humans at our feet—blueberry for Jack, chocolate mint for Miko, and peppermint for Raf. She hands me the cherry, and Bumbee gets the raspberry.

While we hang the candy canes on the tree, Carrier lays out a giant blue tree skirt with a large silver snowflake under the tree, and Sire pulls out the box with the angel and starts unpacking it gently before kneeling to me. "Robot form, Sweetspark." I shift, and he hands me the angel before lifting me to the top of the tree. She's white and silver, with blonde hair and glowing blue wings. She's…beautiful…

I stick her on the tippy top of the tree with only a little help from Sire, then smile up at him as he sets me down. "Now…" Sire glances from me to Carrier and the humans. "Miko, would you mind helping Mari and Elita decorate her room?"

"Of course not!"

* * *

Once we're in my room, Carrier calls Defensor to hang the lights around my room, and the butterfly icicles in my doorways, then smiles as the titan shrinks back to his component parts, and all but one—Hot Spot—leaves to their other duties, while the blue fire truck remains to help, both he and Carrier in holoform.

I help Miko put the tree together, then step back and wait for Hot Spot to make it look like a real tree. Once it's shaped, Miko strings the garland—dark pink, white with snowflakes, and silver beads—around the tree. While I step over with my new Alvin and the Chipmunks ornaments, hanging them as close to the middle as I can, Miko starts wrapping the pink "evergreen" garland, already pre-lit with white lights, around the white railings closest to my elevated playspace. While Carrier and Hot Spot start with silver and teal bulbs respectively, I hang my first Christmas ornament for in here, then move on to a star shaped ornament with an ice skate, a heart-shaped ballet ornament, and a cheerleader ornament.

While Carrier kneels to put my pink and white snowflake tree skirt under the tree, and Miko starts putting my Frozen® train track together for around the tree, Hot Spot lifts me up so I can put my pink and gold angel on the tree. Once that's done, I start hanging my strawberry and raspberry candy canes on the tree. Carrier hangs my pink ornament wreath inside my room, and my aqua "evergreen" wreath outside, while Hot Spot leaves for a few minutes, with Miko on his heels. She _never_ follows the rescue team, so this is something to think about.

Miko's the first one back, carrying a bag from the mall toy store. Inside the bag is a white box with red, green, and blue ribbon. "Open it. It's an early Christmas present."

I lift off the lid to reveal a Christmas version of the boy chipmunk stuffies I have. "Chickmunk stuffies!" I hug them, hug Miko, then go back to put them on my bed.

Hot Spot steps back in then, with the wooden Advent calendar Carrier and Sire bought two days ago. "I had to go down and pick this up from Ratchet." He sets it on my desk, beside my personal, pink desktop computer. I'd never had one before I got to Earth.

"Now, you need a nap, Sweetspark."

" _NOOOO_ nap!"

Carrier sighs and crouches to me. "If you don't get your nap, we'll have to cancel your pageant picture appointment this afternoon."

" _NOOOOOOOOO_!"

Hot Spot sighs softly and lays a hand on Carrier's shoulder before moving into her spot in front of me. "How would you like to come spend a couple hours in our berth room with us?"

"Are you sure, Hot Spot?"

He smiles. "We're off for the afternoon, and we don't mind having her stay with us."

"Can I, Mommy?"

Carrier shrugs. "Why not." She turns to Hot Spot. "But you're coming with us when we go to get her pictures done. The appointment's at five, so I need you to have her back by four at the latest so I can get her ready and pick up the glitz dress she's using for photos."

* * *

Hot Spot carries me into their berth room in my bot form, with my blankie for some reason, and sets me on First Aid's lap. Blades steps over with a book. "Is you guys gonna makey me go nap?"

Blades shakes his head, and Hot Spot shrugs. "If you fall asleep, you fall asleep."

Aid sighs. "We just don't want you to make yourself sick again, so we're going to do a few calm activities."

"You know, instead of the usual games we play together."

"Oh…" I look up to Aid. "I colors, dough?"

He nods, and Groove runs out, quickly returning with my coloring data pad and the pack of styluses. She sets them on the berth before settling beside us.

Hot Spot climbs completely on the berth and pulls everyone into a surprised cuddle pile with me still on top with my blankie. I cuddle down into the pile and listen as Aid reads one of my Cybertronian princess stories, his soft voice like a lullaby, pulling me slowly toward sleep.


	8. Glitz and Natural Photo Shoot

**I only own my OC's, please don't take anything the wrong way in this chapter...**

* * *

 **Glitz and Natural photo shoot**

"Mari, Sweetspark… It's time to wake up…"

"'Pots?"

"Yep. We need to get you back to your Carrier soon. You've got your photo shoot in an hour."

"Pic'ure?"

"Yeah. You've got to get your pictures done for the pageant."

"Oh…" I smile up at the mechs and femme. "Okay. Up?" Groove picks me up and carries me back to my room.

"She took her nap."

"How'd you guys manage to do that?"

The femme smiles. "Aid read a story, and we let her cuddle with us."

Carrier takes me into the bathroom and uses a self-tanning lotion to disguise my pale skin as the healthy glow they want for pageant kids. Once that's done, she helps me into a black cap sleeved minidress with a gold heart print and a gold heart on the chest, black leggings with gold hearts on the knees, black socks with gold hearts on the ankles, and gold strappy flats. She braids my hair and ties off the ends before slipping in gold hair bows.

Once I'm ready, she takes me out and gets me settled into my booster seat before taking off for a photography company in the mall.

Once we're there, Carrier takes me to get my hair styled in natural curls with a single gold bow in the back. Once that's done, she takes me to the photography office, gets me changed into a gold sundress with a full skirt and brown belt with a gold rose and brown hem, a gold satin shrug, gold tights, and brown patent leather Mary Jane shoes. She takes me over to the photographer, and gets me set up for some natural photos.

He pulls down a pink background that looks like a building, with the label "Flower Shop". "All right, Mari, I need you to stand right there, and…perfect." He snaps several pictures. He pulls down another background, this one of a blue and white sponge-printed wall, and snaps several more pictures. "Now, Ariel, if you could help me…" Carrier nods, and helps the photographer lay out a grass-like cloth on the floor. "Now, Mari, if you could lay on it…on an angle, Sweetheart."

"On a what?"

Carrier picks me up and lays me on one corner of the grass cloth. "Like this, Sweetie."

He snaps several more pictures, then lays out a cloud background before having me lay the same way, and snapping several more pictures.

He puts up the cloud design and pulls down a background with a historical stairway background, snapping several pictures once again.

Carrier then takes me to get my hair re-done into a glitz style with a blue bow above the fake hairpiece, and takes me back to the photo studio, where I get some makeup on and get changed into the ice blue cap sleeved, off-the-shoulder glitz pageant dress with white details and rhinestones, white lacy socks, and white patent leather shoes, with a pearl choker.

The photographer pulls down a pink painted wall background, and gets me posed just right before stepping behind the camera. "Now, smile!" I grin, glad to finally be wearing the beautiful tutus I'd seen on TV back on Old Earth. "Now, put one arm on your hip…perfect." He snaps a couple more before changing the background to steps through a garden full of pink flowers. "Give me a cute pose, Sweetheart!" I turn to the side and smile at him over my shoulder. "Great! Great! Give me another!" I giggle and face him, putting my finger on my bottom lip as I tilt my head to the side. He snaps more pictures. "Let me change the background." He pulls down a backyard view with flowerbeds. "Now, show me another one." I pose cutely with my hands, crossed at the wrist, under my chin, and my head tilted shyly, cutely, with a shy smile. "Perfect." He snaps several pictures. "One more." I hold out the hem of my tutu slightly, and curtsy, with my face pointed slightly at the floor. "Beautiful, Darling." He changes the background to a plain maroon one, and moves forward with his camera. "I need to get your face shots now, okay?"

"Okay." I nod. "Yes, Sir." I tilt my head to the side and smile at him gently.

"Good… Good…" He steps back, and sets the camera back on its stand. "Ariel?" Carrier follows him, and he walks her through what she'll need for my portfolio, and she chooses a couple that she wants to frame. "It's $169.40 for the pageant portfolio, and $26.20 for the extra copies." Carrier swipes the government account card everyone has, and finishes the payment with a signature on the reciept. She takes me into the back room and helps me back into my black and gold cap sleeved, heart print minidress, black leggings with gold hearts on the knees, black socks with gold hearts on the ankles, and gold strappy flats. She re-braids my hair and ties off the ends before slipping in gold hair bows.

* * *

We head home. Once there, I climb out and we head back to show Sire the pictures we'd chosen. They'll be delivered to the fake house in a couple days, and then we'll send them to the pageant people for my portfolio.

I skip to my room so I can color, and watch the twinkling lights in my own room—something I wasn't really allowed to have before.

* * *

Carrier takes me into the bathroom and sets me in my tub. After a quick bath, she helps me into a clean nightgown before tucking me into my bed with my teddy bear and blankie.

* * *

Morning, 12-1, Normal POV

"Mari…"

"Wan' 'charge…" I roll over and look up at Ratchet. "Hi."

"We need to get to the store, Sweetspark. Remember?" He straightens up as I sit up. "We need to get you ready, and you need to eat something before we can leave."

I slide off the bed and look up at him. "What I wears?"

He sighs before stepping into my closet, quickly returning with one of my new outfits on a tiny white hanger. He helps me into the long sleeved red corduroy dress with green rickrack trim on the Peter Pan collar and cuffs, and Santa and presents embroidered on the waistband, with green rickrack trim, a pair of green tights, and red patent leather Mary Jane shoes, then leads me into the kitchen. "Now, what do you want to eat?"

I shrug. "We no gots 'gon?"

He sighs heavily before crouching to me. "We have energon, but you need to have human food too for now, okay?"

"We no haves lots, then."

"No, we don't." He straightens up. "So I need you to at least try to eat something for me."

"Otay…" I think for a minute. "Fwy 'tatoes?"

"Fried potatoes?" I nod. "Okay, that's a start… Anything else?"

"Um… We has stwawbewwy jam?"

He looks in the fridge before shaking his head. "Sorry, Sweetspark." He sighs. "How about something else? We have eggs… a couple sausage links left…"

"Otay!" I love sausage. "Scwambley egg pease…an makey sausage too?"

"All right." I watch as he pulls out the pans. "But you need to have some milk too, okay?"

"Otay." I smile up at him. "We goes 'lones?"

"Did you want Bumblebee to come?" I shake my head. "Then who were you talking about?"

"'Fensors?"

"Mari…"

"Pwease?"

"I might be able to get _one_ of them off, but I can't get them _all_ off—especially since Aid needs to watch the med-bay for me." He turns from the stove and crouches to me. "So I need you to be more specific, okay?"

"Um…" I think for a minute. Aid's got to work in the med-bay, Blue and Aunt Cee are on patrol, covering Carrier and Bumbee's usual route, Daddy's got monitor duty, Groove's filling Aunt Cee's roll of guarding Jack today—he's got school, then work—Carrier's spending the day with June—it's the latter's day off—and Bulkhead and Bumbee are with their charges. "Pots?"

"I'll have to see if he can, okay Sweetspark?" He slides a heart-shaped Princess plate in front of me, followed by a Cinderella mug of milk. "You need to eat."

"Otay…" I pick up my fork and start eating slowly, nervous because I don't like puking much, and I've done it a lot lately.

While I eat, Ratchet steps out. I'm tempted to hide some of the food he gave me, but I'm scared that he might catch me. I know he's just worried, since my spark chose him back on Old Earth, and he wants me to survive…but I don't want to puke again.

He steps back in shortly after with Hot Spot behind him. "Hey, Little Sister."

"Hi, Pots. You goes bye-bye with us?"

"Yep. I'm going to the store with the two of you."

"Yay!" I slide down to the floor and smile up at Ratchet. "Let's go!"

"You need to finish your breakfast, Mari…"

"I full."

Ratchet sighs as he looks between me and the plate. "All right, let's get going."

"Otay!" I run over to him, and ride on his shoulder into the main room. He sets me down so he can transform, and opens the back door so I can climb inside. We take off soon after I'm secured in the child seat underneath the cushion on his back seat.

* * *

I watch Ratchet pile meats, dairy, grains, fruits, and vegetables into the cart silently from my place in the basket. Once he has the usual things people get for groceries—including a few cereals I'd asked for—Trix and Alpha-Bits—and some toddler foods to help with nutrition—he looks down to me. "Now, we need to see what we could get you to eat…" He looks down at the two full carts—we are feeding several holoforms as well as three growing humans and a nurse, after all. "Spot, could you get another cart?"

"Of course."

"Pots!"

He stops and turns back to me. "What's wrong?"

"Goes wif!"

He glances at Ratchet before shrugging, and takes me out of the cart before setting me on his shoulders. "All right, let's go get that cart."

"Yay!" Spot grabs the new cart and, with me still on his shoulders—I'm clinging to his head—pushes it back to Ratchet.

"Now, what do you like to eat?"

"Um…nuts…muffins…noodlies…soup…popisicles…an' tandy."

"There's not a lot of nutrition in those…"

"I'm aware of that, Hot Spot." Ratchet sighs heavily. "Nuts are pretty healthy for snacks, and I can find things to put in with noodles that would make something healthy that she could eat." Ratchet smirks. "And it would be so easy to slip nutrients into muffins and home-made popsicles." He stops and gets some cans of nuts before moving on. He stops in the candy aisle and gets at least ten bags as he turns back to Spot and I. "They're not all for Mari, but I know the human children enjoy a treat now and then, and they shouldn't be forced to have healthy snacks because we have to do it right now for Mari.

"Jack's mother doesn't want him having much candy either."

"I know, but he—as well as Miko and Raf—are old enough to limit themselves, while Mari is too young to know better." We stop so he can move things around, then he piles cleaners into the rest of the cart. The candies and nuts get mixed in with other ingredients—Ratch had said they were for popsicles and candies—before falling down in their jumbled-up mess. "Now, we just need to get Mari's bath and medical stuff, and we're done."

"Toy an' tandy?"

"What do you say?"

"Pwease?"

Ratchet smiles. "I think we'll be able to get a small toy, and I might even let you have a candy, but you'll have to eat lunch for me first."

"Awh…"

"Now, now, Little One. You have to eat real food first." He steps into the toy aisle, and Hot Spot sets me on my feet. "Just one, and it has to be small…"

I reach up and snag a toy cell phone, with princesses on the front. "Dis one."

"Okay." He takes it and puts it into the cart before they lead me back to the candy aisle. "Now, pick your candy, then we have to check out." I look over the rack before handing him a white and red candy-cane candy bar. "Good. You can have it after you eat."

"Where we go eat?"

"We'll have to see, Sweetspark…"

"Otay…"

* * *

Ratchet and Hot Spot lead me into a small country diner by the hand. "Now, you have to eat, okay?" I nod, too busy looking around the room. It's country-themed, and cute. Ratchet leads us to a table and orders for the two of us before letting Hot Spot order. "Why I no get choose here?"

"I know what you liked to eat in the other dimension, Mari. You will like what I ordered for you." I nod, and he was right. when our food comes out a few minutes later, I've got roast beef with potatoes and gravy, and green beans, with a strawberry soda to drink. I don't manage to clean my plate this time, but I eat most of what was given to me, and Ratchet hands me the candy bar when we get back out to his vehicle mode. I smile down at it for a minute—it's my favorite, and I only get it during christmas time—before opening it and nibbling it one square at a time. It's gone by the time we reach the base.

* * *

Ratchet pulls into the kitchen with Spot so he can help put what we'd bought away, and I run across the hall to my berthroom so I can play.

* * *

Third POV, Kitchen

The two stare at the large ammount of grocery bags on the large metal table. "Think she'll be able to keep this stuff down?"

"If she can't… Spot… There's no other way I'll be able…to save her life…"

"Primus… You're _sure_?"

"I am _positive_ , Hot Spot. If this doesn't work…then there's nothing I can do…" He sighs and settles into a chair before resting his arms on the table. "I'm not ready to lose her, Hot Spot…I'm not…" He buries his face into his arms in a sorry attempt to hide his tears—Hot Spot had already noticed.

"Ratchet…" Hot Spot sighs. "Is there anything I can help with?"

Ratchet shakes his head, sighs, then nods. "Tell Aid I need him to cover the med-bay for the rest of the day, and get the rest of this stuff put away."

"Ratchet?"

He stands, and starts for the door, using a cloth he'd grabbed moments before to dry his eyes. "I'm going to talk with Optimus. I can't wait anymore. I can't watch her like this anymore."

"Ratchet, wait." The medic stops. "What are you talking to him about?"

"My future bonded."

"Ratchet?"

He sighs, and turns to Hot Spot. "Mari's spark chose me. We're supposed to bond when she's of age." He huffs. "Mari got him to promise her that if there was a chance she wouldn't make it to adulthood, that he let her bond no matter her age—that was back—"

"In the other dimension."

"Right. We're at that point, Hot Spot, and…" He lets out another heavy-sounding sigh. "And I can't let this go much further. We're at that point _now_ …and I won't make her wait for an age she may never…get to reach…" He sighs, and runs the cloth over his eyes again. "This isn't easy on me, Hot Spot. Please, just tell Aid to handle the med-bay so I can get this done and…and spend some time with her…while she's still…relatively healthy?"

" _You're_ only relatively healthy."

Ratchet huffs. "And she knows that. I'm fighting my Deficiency for her. I want her to fight the malnutrition for me."


	9. Sunday

I have a poll on my profile page asking a question I really want to have answered. I'm trying to get as many answers as I can, and very few people visit my profile. I've gotten literally one answer in a week, and that's sad. Please answer, and be honest about it.

* * *

 **I only own my OC's!**

* * *

Sunday

12-4, Morning

Sire steps over to the bed to wake me up, only to find me staring up at him. "Hi."

He smiles down at me. "Good morning. How long have you been awake, Little One?"

"Nots long."

"Well, it is time to get you ready for church, so you need to get up."

"Otay." I slide off my bed and head into the kitchen, where Ratchet's sitting with Carrier and Bumblebee—Carrier's in her bot form, but Bumblebee's in holoform—half an energon cube sitting in front of him. "Morning, Ratch!"

"Good morning, Little One." He motions for me to join him, and I run over with a giggle before scrambling into his lap. He'd spent most of yesterday playing with me. Sire steps over and slips a plate each in front of Bee and I—filled with hashbrowns, eggs, and sausage with toast off to the side—Bee's is buttered, while mine has strawberry jam on top. "Now, you have to eat, okay?" I look up to him grumpily. "For me?"

I huff. "Otay…" I pick up my pink-handled fork and start to eat slowly.

"There you go."

"Now…" Sire sits across from Ratch, rather than using his usual chair at the head of the table. "What were you trying to say yesterday?"

Ratchet sighs. "Sorry I was in such a hurry yesterday. I wanted to spend some time with Mari…"

"And I was too busy at the time."

"Yeah…" He looks down at me, causing me to stop eating and look up at him. "Eat." I huff and turn back to my plate as he sighs heavier, and slips something over my ears. Now all I can hear is music—Christmas music.

* * *

Ratchet's POV

I look up to Optimus after putting the noise canceling headphones over Mari's young ears. "Optimus…I'm sure you remember when we were in the other dimension, and you made that promise to Mari? The one about—"

"Bonding before she's of age because she was scared she wouldn't live to adulthood. I remember."

"Well… I think we're there…" I sigh down at the tiny femmeling on my lap. "Optimus… We're at a point where there's nothing I can do—it's all in her hands—and I…I won't let her go without at least having that. If you remember, it was—"

"The most important thing to her—that she got her "wedding". I remember…" Optimus sighs heavily. "We'll see what we can do, but don't be surprised if we can't do anything. Humankind is shockingly against things like that…"

"They'll let a dying father walk his daughter down the aisle, but they won't let an ailing child have a wedding when they don't know if they'll make it to adulthood? That's crazy."

Elita steps over. "I've heard of crazier things than this."

"I'm sure you have." Optimus shakes his head. "But I would still have to take this up with Agent Fowler…"

"Why, Optimus!? She's _our_ princess, it's _our_ decision!"

"And if we need human money?"

I sigh heavily. He's got a point. "We tell him it's to help her spark."

"Help her spark? Is she that—"

"Lower cardiac output is a symptom of malnourishment, Optimus. She could—" I trail off there, and try to keep myself together. While she can't hear me, she'd know right away if I start to cry, since she's on my lap. "Her spark could fade out because of this, Orion. She is _very sick_." I sigh heavily. "Worse than I am at the moment."

"Aren't you still in remission?"

I'd been dreading our meeting this morning—Optimus had been busy yesterday, so I simply asked to meet with him and for this very reason. My Cybertronium Deficiency has been back for around six weeks now, and I've been doing my best to keep my best friend from watching me as if I'm going to die on him at any moment. "No."

"Ratchet… Why—"

I shake my head. "This isn't about me. This is about Mariposa. I still have my meds, and I'm supplementing as well, so I will be around for a long time yet. Mariposa, on the other hand…"

"Ratchet…" Optimus sighs heavily. "You—"

"We could all be killed tomorrow, Optimus. I'm perfectly fine. Up 'til now only the Protectobots knew about my condition, and that because they were helping Aid and I out before they were called to help in the tsunami relief."

"That long?"

"Yes."

Optimus finally decides to be professional again. "You think a sparkbond with you would help her out?"

"Yes, though she is so weak at the moment that I don't know…it could do more harm than good in her present condition."

"Primus…" Elita turns to me. "It's that bad?"

"It's that bad, if not worse, Elita."

"Would we be able to help?" We glance to the doorway to find Hot Spot and his brothers and sister watching us.

I sigh heavily. He looks so desperate to help, and I hate to have to tell him this. "Hot Spot, an actual bond may be too much for her, and a gestalt bond could wind up just as dangerous."

"The best we could do for now is contact, and hope one starts to form, Hot Spot."

Elita turns to them with a smile. "How long have you wanted a bond with her?"

"Since we met her while she was learning to be an EMT."

I turn to them. "And you waited this long _why_?"

Hot Spot shrugs. "We were all right with the unofficial connection. We've been thinking about it for the last several weeks, though, and…" Hot Spot sighs sadly. "And now we may have waited too long…"

"Spot…" First Aid sighs before leading him out.

Blades slips past us and gets five half-cubes before leaving. We're on half-rations now in an attempt to keep our rapidly dwindling supply as long as possible. "Sorry." He slips back out.

I glance up at the clock before turning back to Optimus. "You need to get ready to leave."

"Want to come with us, or—"

"I'm fine, Optimus. I need to get my meds…"

"That will take you five minutes at most." Optimus smiles. "Besides, Mariposa may want you to come."

"Fine. We'll ask her."

* * *

Normal POV

I look up when someone pops the headphones off my head, and drop my fork in surprise. "Huh?" I look up. "Hi."

"Mariposa?"

I turn to Sire. "Yeah?"

"Would you like Ratchet to come to church with us today?"

I look up to him. "Would you?"

He smiles down at me. "All right, but you'll need to get dressed first." We both turn to my still half-full plate. "But you need to eat, Little One."

"Full."

Every adult in the room sighs heavily. "All right." Carrier takes my hand and leads me into my room.

Carrier helps me into a silver sleeveless dress with a black zebra print and a silver sash, a black long sleeved sequin shrug, black tights, and black patent leather Mary Jane shoes. she curls my hair with a curling iron before clipping in a silver and black zebra print hair bow. As a last step, she puts a silver and black zebra striped pacifier with a silver loop, which is on a black ribbon, around my neck. "There."

I open the fourth door on my advent calendar and pull out a handful of energon gummy worms before sticking one in my mouth. Once they're gone, Carrier helps me brush my teeth, then we head out to Sire's vehicle mode.

* * *

Church

We step into the church together. Sire, Carrier, and Bumblebee are all wearing the same thing as they did last week, while Ratchet's wearing a black suit with a white shirt and a red tie. This week, he's leading me inside. Once we're inside, I let his hand go and run on ahead. "I'll shows you where my class is!"

"I'm right behind you, Little One."

I turn back to him and stomp my foot. "Come on, Ratchie! You's running 'hinds!"

"Rick, Little One." He finally catches up to me. "And I'm running behind because I don't feel good."

"Ratchie…" I look up at him curiously. Yesterday he'd had to leave because he "didn't feel good" and was back in a few minutes only to head into my own bathroom. "You's sicks too…"

He sighs, and picks me up. "You're too smart, Mari. Yes, I'm sick too, but I'll be all right."

"It's back?" Sparkling or not, he'd told me on Old Earth that he'd had a Cybertronium Deficiency, and I hadn't forgotten, even through all we've endured.

"It is, but I have meds and supplements, so I'll be all right."

"But…"

"We're trying to get metals to supplement you, but it hasn't been going well." He sets me down outside my classroom. "I need to get back to your parents. I'll see you later, Sweetie."

"Otay." I wait until he's gone before I look at my shiny shoes. "He's no' otay…"

"Who isn't, Sweetheart?"

"Daddy's friend. He comed with us today. He's sick…"

"Oh." She leads me over to the table before starting to hand out her armload of color pages. "We're going to start working on our Christmas program today, so we'll be meeting with the older kids after Sunday school."

* * *

Junior Church

I slip into a seat and watch the teacher in front as she walks us through the planned program. "First, we need a child who can sing a solo to open for the cantata on the 18th. This child will also be the lead for our angel choir that night, and will have two special solos at the start and end of our Christmas pageant." Daniella and I both raise our hands. "Daniella. Sing for me?"

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!  
Let earth receive her King;  
Let every heart prepare Him room,  
And Heaven and nature sing,  
And Heaven and nature sing,  
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Several of the kids cringe, as half her notes were way sharp. The teacher, Jenny, turns to me with a sigh. "Marianne? Can you sing something for me?" I nod, and stand with a gentle smile.

Bring a torch, Jeanette, Isabella  
Bring a torch, come swiftly and run  
Christ is born, tell the folk of the village  
Jesus is sleeping in His cradle  
Ah, ah  
Beautiful is the mother  
Ah, ah  
Beautiful is her Son

"Wow…" The kids around me are speechless, and Jenny smiles over at me. "I never knew a child could sing like that." She hands me some papers. "This is our schedule for cantata practice, and this is for your Mommy and Daddy. It tells them what your part is for the pageant."

"Thank you."

"And this is a song we were thinking of doing during the end of the nativity, and before the final song—so while they're posing as Mary and Joseph, you would sing this. There's a CD with it, so be careful you don't break it."

"Yes, Ma'am."

I watch silently as she assigns other parts, my pacifier in my mouth. One of the girls-the one with the twin-leans over with a scowl. "You know, you can't have that when your singing, right? No one would understand you."

"I knows. I not has it on stage, Silly."

"Humph." She turns, and sticks her nose in the air, causing her twin to do the same.

I run to Ratchet when he comes to pick me up. "Hey, Little One. How was class?"

"Good." I show him my papers. "I got lead."

"Lead?" He sets me down in front of Carrier, Sire, and Bumblebee. "She got lead, whatever that means."

"In Christmas pageant. I got lead singer. I getta sing with the big peoples Sunday mornin', then I getta sing before, durin', and after the pageant, and I gotta special song to sings during their "posing"."

"Impressive." Carrier crouches to me. "You're going to do very well, aren't you?"

"Huh-huh!"

She takes my hand and starts to lead me out to Sire's vehicle mode, only to stop at the glass doors and sigh. "Orion, you'll have to do crowd control again."

"Give me Mari." They turn to Ratchet's holoform.

"You've been actively sick since yesterday. You don't need to—"

"I'm not doing crowd control, Orion. I'm going to carry her so she doesn't get trampled. You're doing crowd control."

"All right." I watch as Sire weaves our way through those crowded around his vehicle mode before opening the door so Ratchet and I can get in. We're quickly followed by Bumblebee, Carrier, and finally Sire. "Everyone settled?"

"Yep."

"How are you feeling?"

"I thought we weren't going to do this."

Sire chuckles softly. "I'll take that as "better"."

"You'd better." He shifts me on his lap before sighing. "Part of this is the meds…"

"I know. I'm not mad at you, Ratchet. I know you can't help it, and the team expects this from you anyway."

"Good." He sighs, and looks down before turning to Carrier. "I'd never—"

"We know you'd never hurt Mari, Ratchet. We trust you."

I cuddle into his chest. "Loves Watch."

"Who in their right mind could get mad at this little one anyway?"


	10. More Shopping

I have a poll on my profile page asking a question I really want to have answered. I'm trying to get as many answers as I can, and very few people visit my profile. I've gotten literally one answer in a week, and that's sad. Please answer, and be honest about it.

* * *

 **I only own my OC's!**

* * *

More Shopping

Monday, December 5, Normal POV

"Mariposa…" I shake my head at the sing-song voice and roll over. "Sweetspark…"

I feel a tickly something on my cheek and brush it away. "No…"

"Mari, it's time to get up!"

I blink, and sit up to see Blades. "Hi?" While the Protectobots will watch me or play with me during the day, they don't usually wake me up.

"Hey, Sleepyhead." He laughs. "You've got a dress fitting in an hour. I'm off today, so your Carrier asked if I wanted to go with."

"Why you wakey me up? Siwe usually does."

He smiles before picking me up. "They're all out searching for energon—except your Carrier and me, and Ratchet and Aid of course. Ratchet's got to run the command center, so Aid's got medbay."

"You's coming wiff?"

"Yep."

"Yay." He sets me in my chair, and Carrier slides a bowl of Trix with milk in front of me, with a glass of strawberry milk. "Now, you have to eat, okay?"

I huff. I know I promised Ratchet, but I really don't like this. "Don't wanna."

Blades sighs, and I can see Carrier slouch a little in her seat. I know she's worried about me, but I don't want to puke, and I'm scared I might if I eat human foods today… "Mari, you have to. You promised Ratchet."

"Huh-uh." I glare down into the bowl. Don't they understand that my tummy's off today?

"Do I have to get Aid?" He turns to Carrier. "He's the only one besides Ratchet who could get her to eat." I glare at the bowl. "First Aid?"

" _Blades, I'm—_ "

"I know. We need your help in the kitchen. Mari…"

" _What's wrong?_ "

"Calm down, she's just refusing to eat again."

" _I'm coming._ " I sigh heavily, which he hears over the comm. " _Did you ever think that she may have a reason to not want to eat, Blades?_ "

"She doesn't have a choice. We're dangerously low on energon—we barely have enough for the crew until Christmas!"

Hands suddenly cover my ears. "Blades, little ears!"

"Sorry, Elita." The hands move as someone steps in. "Hey, Aid."

He crouches to me. "Mari, why don't you want to eat?" I lay a hand on my tummy. "Your tummy hurts?" I nod, causing Carrier to sigh. "Do you think it could be hurting because you're hungry? You haven't had anything to eat since yesterday."

"Huh-uh." I shake my head.

"Mari…"

"Tummy would be 'ucky for no reason on Old Earth sometimes. Eaty then was no' smart."

"I understand, but…but you have to eat, Sweetspark." I watch as Aid picks up my spoon, and fills it with the fruit-shaped cereal. "Remember that bag of fruit stars back in the other dimension?" I nod. "You loved them. You said they tasted just like this." He holds out the spoon. "Please? For me?"

I huff, but take the bite anyway. He waits until I swallow before moving another spoonful toward me. "Think you could eat some more for me?" I nod, and he slips the spoon into my mouth. He holds it out to me. "Think you can do it for me?" I shake my head. "All right, I'll do it, but you have to let me know when to stop, okay?" I nod.

* * *

He keeps going until there's no more cereal in the bowl, which causes Carrier to gasp softly. "I told you, Elita… Aid could do it."

"All right, Sweetspark. It's time for you to get ready, okay?"

"Otay." I slide off the seat and follow Carrier and First Aid into my room. I open the door on my advent calendar to find energon gummy butterflies, and, rather than eat them now, stick them in my little purse. My tummy doesn't feel right…

"Let me know if she purges, Elita. I need to keep track of how she's doing."

"I will, First Aid." I pull on the clean underwear and black tights she had pulled out, then slip into a black pair of dance shorts to be safe. She helps me into a black long sleeved T-shirt with gold bows on the shoulders and a gold Christmas tree graphic, which gets tucked into the shorts, and a gold glittery tutu with a gold bow. I sit down, and she helps me into gold Mary Jane shoes, then French braids my hair before weaving a gold ribbon into each French braid and tying it in bows around the hair ties at the ends. "All right, let Blades know we're ready to go."

"I'm already here."

We turn to the door in surprise, and I squeal before running over, grabbing my purse on the way. "Blades!"

"Coat, Mari." I huff, but slip into my purple leather jacket. "Now, let's go. Holoform, Blades."

* * *

We pull into the lot in Carrier's V-mode—it's a light pink and silver Mustang. She parks before climbing out in holoform and helping me out of the back seat with my little purse. "Now, there's a pink collapsible wagon in the trunk, if you would get it out?"

He does, but turns to Carrier in confusion. "Why do we need a wagon?"

"Mari is not strong enough to walk through the entire mall, Brian, and I want to make sure she can manage."

"Ah." He unfolds the wagon, but rather than put me in it, he picks me up and puts me on his shoulders. I put my little purse around my neck and across my chest so I don't lose it. "All right, let's go."

He pulls the wagon through the mall entrance and stops behind Carrier, who is rifling through the purse she uses in holoform for her list, which is on a large smartphone-sized datapad. "All right, we're going to Sears first. I've ordered what I can to be mailed to the fake house, but we still have a lot we need to get."

Blades follows Carrier into the store, and grabs a cart before setting me in the top, and folds up the wagon before setting it inside the basket. "All right, which way?"

Carrier turns to a map after grabbing a cart. "Health and beauty. We need to get some styling tools for the pageant."

"Well then…" Blades glances at the map. "We'll see if I can channel Jase well enough to find everything…"

"It should be pretty straight-forward, Brian." Carrier smiles. "We can do this, and we're taking our time with it. It's all right if we get lost."

* * *

Within the hour, we're stepping over to the register to check out. Carrier pulls a card out of her wallet and pays before loading our stuff into the wagon as I sit on Blades' shoulders. We've got the travel set (pink and black zebra stripes), makeup, hair styling supplies, and ribbons.

I whimper and put my hand on my tummy. " _Mommy_?"

"Mari?" She turns to me right as I gag, and Blades quickly sets me by a trash can right before I throw up. "Oh, Sweetspark…"

"I need to call Aid."

"We'll tell him when we get home. Mari?" She rubs my back as I throw up again.

I look up after a moment. "Mama?"

She sighs softly. "Feel better?"

"Little…"

"Okay. Want to keep shopping, or do you want to go home?"

"Shops."

"All right. Brian?"

"I got her." He picks me up before reaching to his comm anyway. "Aid?"

" _Blades? What's wrong?_ "

"Mari puked."

" _Slag._ "

"Aid?"

" _I was hoping…_ "

"We all were."

" _Well, Bee's back from patrol, Ratchet just came in. I'll update him, then I'm coming. You'll need backup—unless you're coming back?_ "

"You kidding? Mari doesn't _want_ to come back, so we're staying."

" _All right, update Elita and let me know where you are._ "

"Elita?"

"Called Aid?"

Blades steps closer to Carrier before leaning down to whisper in her ear. "Bee finished his patrol so he's on monitors, which means Ratchet's taking over medbay. Aid's on his way."

"All right. We'll meet at Claire's. It's got hair supplies for little girls."

"Meeting at Claire's."

* * *

Autobot Base Med Bay, Third POV

"Thanks, Blades."

Ratchet turns to Ratchet Aid in surprise. "Blades? Aid, what happened?"

Aid sighs. "I had to spoon-feed Mari today—she refused to eat on her own—and I had her eat the whole bowl of cereal, so I asked them to let me know if she got sick. She did, so now…"

"Now what?"

Aid turns from where he's packing a bag. Inside is a sippy cup with a butterfly graphic filled with chicken broth, a similar cup with a ladybug and apple juice, and a cup with a bumblebee full of sprite, and a cup with a dog filled with red pedialyte, as well as a giraffe cup filled with blue. A cup with a monkey is still sitting open in front of him, which he's filling up from his own energon ration. "Now I'm going to meet them and help out, since you're here to take over."

"Aid…"

"It's my ration, I can—" He sighs. "Ratchet, she's only keeping energon down, there's nothing I can do to get her to keep something human down besides liquids, so…I'm giving her my ration. I'll be all right until tomorrow."

"Aid, you're barely—" Ratchet sighs. "You'll only be trading—" He shakes his head. "I won't change your mind, will I?"

"Nope." He screws the lid on the cup and slips it into the bag before closing it.

"Then take this."

He looks down at a half-full cube. "Ratchet?"

"I wouldn't keep it down anyway, and we need at least one medic in good condition."

"No."

"Aid…"

"Don't. I'll be fine."

"You're dragging, I can tell." Ratchet huffs. "I haven't trained you for vorns without being able to tell when you're _not_ fine."

"I can at least handle human food if I have to. You and Mari can't—different reasons, maybe, but the same position."

"Fine." Ratchet shakes his head. "Just…be careful out there?"

"I will." He pushes the half-cube Ratchet is still holding out closer to his mentor. "Drink that. You need it, Ratch."

* * *

Mall, Normal POV

" _I'm on my way now, Blades, but I'll have to stop at the food court first._ "

"Aid…"

Carrier gives him a nervous look. "Brian?"

"Aid, you didn't…"

" _She's only been able to keep liquids down unless it has energon in it, and—_ "

"She has some gummies with her, Aid…"

" _And she won't want solids right after purging, either. She can have my ration. I don't purge with human food._ "

Blades turns to Carrier with a sigh. "They're all nuts."

"Excuse me?"

Blades leans down to where he can whisper to Carrier without anyone else hearing. "Aid's giving up his rations. Spot's breaking down every five minutes. We're losing it, Elita…"

" _We're_?"

"I'm in a mall when I'm usually the one out on patrol at a time like this. Groove's on my usual route. Streetwise…seems to be the only one with his helm on straight…" He sighs. "Aid's going to the food court first."

"Then we'll meet him there."

"Forget Claire's. Elita's meeting you in the food court."

" _With a sick youngling?_ "

"I've got Mari, and she'll be fine."

I look down at Blades sadly. "Tol' you I no wanna eats dis mornin'…"

"Guess we should have listened, huh?" He carries me into the food court before setting me on a seat next to Aid's holoform. He's got a bag over his shoulder and a basket in front of him holding a sandwich and fries. "Aid?"

"Veggie burger."

"All right."

I smile over at Aid. He's always been able to handle things better than me, so even back in the other dimension, when we had the same personality and looked the same age, he was _still_ able to stick closer to our shared "all life is sacred" belief. He smiles back before pulling out a cup with a monkey on it and handing it to me. "Here, try this."

I take the cup and start drinking from it while watching Carrier and Aid talk. "Aid?"

He glances down to me for a moment, then mouths: "Energon."

Carrier does the same before her eyes widen. "First Aid…"

"I won't have her starve like this when I can handle human food better than she can."

"But your half-ration won't…"

I look up from the cup with tears in my eyes. I told Ratchet not to give me his energon because we needed him, and now Aidie's giving me _his_? "Aidie? Why?"

He sighs before pulling me into his lap. "Because we don't want to lose you, Little Sister. We can handle human food better than you can." He turns to Carrier. "We're just trying to help out where we can, Elita."

"I know, First Aid, but…a half ration…is hardly enough for myself or Arcee…you're already dragging, almost worse than Ratchet and Orion are…"

"And we can handle human food better than she can." He turns to me. "Because you need to get healthy again, Little One." He turns back to Carrier. "Ratchet already tried."

"You're not giving her all your energon, Aid."

He looks down at me before sighing. "At least let me help out? You know, a cube here and there?"

"We can't be short one warrior—"

"I'm a medic."

"I'm aware of that, but Defensor is a warrior, and they need you."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"A cube here and there wouldn't hurt you on full rations, even with you needing more because you're a medic, but half-rations are barely enough for you, Ratchet, or Orion."

"That's why I'm eating this." He holds up the veggie burger in his hand. "I can sacrifice a little more for her if I choose to use human food instead."

"And maybe cause more problems in the long run…"

"Ratchet's explained the holoforms well enough, and I checked it myself, human food won't hurt us so long as we're in holoforms."

"You won't change his mind." Blades sighs. "If Ratchet already tried, and Mari's still sitting in his lap drinking it…" He sighs and reaches for his comm. "Hot Spot?"

"Blades…"

"You're going to hurt yourself. I know you. You'll do this today, but then we get back and you'll leave the human food for the younglings and humans, while still giving Mari your—"

" _Blades? What's wrong?_ "

"Aid."

" _You'll have to be a little more specific, Blades. What's wrong with Aid?_ "

"Aid's giving Mari his rations."

" _How long?_ "

"So far as I know just today, but…" Blades sighs. "But then he'll insist that the human food on base go to the kids and Bee, and then…"

" _And then he's going completely without. First Aid?_ "

"I don't want to lose her, Spot…"

I look up at the broken-sounding voice, and pat his free hand gently. "It otay…"

" _Ratchet has a plan, we're not going to lose her._ "

"But you don't _know_ that, Spot! If it's dangerous for us, then it's just as dangerous if he does it!"

" _Aid…_ "

"It's just… She's our little sister…"

" _I know… It'll be all right. We're all upset over this, but we'll get through it._ "

"But Spot…"

" _We. Will._ " Since I'm in Aid's lap, I can hear Hot Spot sigh on his end of the comm. " _Now, where are you?_ "

"I'm at the mall with Elita, in Tranquility."

" _Okay, I'm almost done with patrol, then I'll be there too, and I'll see what I can do about getting Groove and Streetwise too, all right?_ "

"Hot Spot?"

" _Ratchet said we'd have to try contact and see if a bond forms, right?_ "

"Yeah…"

" _Well, we're starting now._ "

"Oh." He looks down at me. "Well, I don't know how long we'll be here, but…"

"Aid?"

He turns to Carrier. "Spot and the others want to meet us here."

"All right…" Carrier looks confused for a moment before her eyes light up, but she doesn't say anything else, instead turning to watch the doors at the other end of the food court.


End file.
